Chance of a Millennium: Arc 1
by Enigmatic Magus
Summary: Reboot of 'Selves Inserted,' by myself and Tannim Murphy. Watch as we alter history, one step at a time!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Naoko Takeuchi owns Sailor Moon. When references are made to other fictional series or material, said material belongs to its respective owners.

Chance of a Millennium  
By Tannim Murphy & Enigmatic Magus

Prologue: Queenie's Pity Party

Above the moon, the earth hung silent against a backdrop of stars. The barest hint of darkness on the edge of the world signified daylight as it slowly made its constant march across the planet below. Its green, brown and blue surface marred only by cloud formations high in the atmosphere, creating an overall tableau of peace and serenity.

"Serenity." The woman spoke with a hint of reproach in her voice. She stood tall in the highest tower of the Moon Palace, looking up towards the sky. "That's a hopeful name for a queen."

"Did you say something, your majesty?"

The woman bowed her head and silver hair cascaded down what was unarguably an unblemished, perfect face. Queen Serenity stayed silent a few seconds more, prompting worry from her escort.

Finally she spoke. "It's nothing, Luna. Just thinking aloud is all." Serenity turned to face her small companions, two Moon Cats named Artemis and Luna, who were sitting astride the balcony. "Do you know what serenity means, little ones?"

Artemis nodded. "It means peace, doesn't it?"

"Almost," Serenity replied. "It's true meaning is peace in the face of adversity."

She wouldn't admit it publicly, but the latest troubles her kingdom were suffering had taken a toll on her. It was all she could do to hold herself together and not break down and cry in front of her closest companions. A queen had to remain strong at all times, in the public eye or not. If the people got wind of her real state of mind, it would cause catastrophe on a system-wide scale. Faith in their queen had been what kept everyone optimistic all these years. If she were to falter....

Her hand strayed to the Silver Crystal, kept hidden on her person at all times. It was a great source of her power, a boon to her people, a granter of wishes, and yet... yet, even so, she was uncertain that even its mighty power would be enough for the days that lay ahead. She extracted the crystal from its resting place to hold it cupped lightly in her hands. A thumb rubbed it idly as she contemplated the future.

It was a future so bleak, she had ordered the construction of a great magical device that would be able to peer through time just to catch a glimpse of what was really going on. The signs of the day were pointing towards chaos, breakdown, and ruin; Serenity shuddered to imagine what would become of her beautiful kingdom if her concentration lapsed for but an instant in the face of all the adversity headed her way. It was a lonely position, made even lonelier by the fact that, while she had excellent advisers, she did not have anyone she could truly, freely confide her deepest thoughts to. The terrible, dark worries of her soul weighed heavily on her without any sort of release.

Unbidden, a single tear escaped her eye and rolled down her cheek. It hit the Silver Crystal squarely, causing it to resonate and shine with sudden power.

'All I want are some real, true friends. Is that too much to ask?'


	2. Chapter 1

[16:04] TannimFodder: You there?  
[16:52] Enigmatic Magus: Just got home. What's up?  
[16:55] TannimFodder: You should see what I wrote in my latest story.  
[16:55] TannimFodder: Man, I'm funny.  
[16:56] Enigmatic Magus: Keep stroking your ego like that and I'm not going to stick around when it bubbles over and leaks on the floor.  
[16:57] TannimFodder: It's the only way I know how to achieve my second form.  
[16:57] Enigmatic Magus: And what does that look like; a panda bear?  
[16:57] TannimFodder: No! It's more like a lizard with wings.  
[16:58] Enigmatic Magus: Ugh. Why would you want to be a lizard? And wouldn't that be a dragon?  
[16:59] TannimFodder: We don't chose our forms, they're given to us.  
[17:04] TannimFodder: Hey, you still there?  
[17:11] Enigmatic Magus: Yeah. Playing WoW.  
[17:12] TannimFodder: Something weird just happened. I heard a loud "thump" outside my window. When I checked, there wasn't anything there. Maybe a bird hit or something.  
[17:17] Enigmatic Magus: In California? Do you have birds over there?  
[17:18] TannimFodder: Northern California even has squirrels. Someone's knocking on the door. Be right back.  
[17:24] Enigmatic Magus: Hello?  
[17:29] Enigmatic Magus: If it's that important, you should, you know.. say something. And now Liz's friend is here. Quick! Say something engaging before they bug me for my 360! ... back in a sec.  
[17:34] TannimFodder has gone idle  
[17:44] Enigmatic Magus has gone idle

Xxxxx

There was a dull pain in the back of his head. With a groan, Kyle pulled himself into a sitting position, reaching up to touch the tender spot and wincing in pain as his fingers felt the sticky sensation of caked blood.

"What the hell?" he mumbled, frowning in the dark and confused at the rather unfamiliar surroundings.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and a twisting, falling sensation that turned his stomach upside-down, moments before it protested violently when the sensation changed to one of steady falling. At least there was light, though what was visible was beyond understandable. Various surfaces, objects, places flashed by at high speed, each one fading away upon impact, like some sort of hallucination, only faint stirrings of air currents at his fingertips to signify their passing.

And then, with a rather painful thud he landed; somewhere brighter than before by far, and much less comfortable, with its 100+ degree heat, and glaring sun bright overhead. Dressed for comfort, he felt sweat start to bead immediately on his exposed skin, and trying to ignore the still painful spot on the back of his head.

Before he could try to stand, however, the twisting sensation was back, and suddenly he was falling through things again, the solid becoming ephemeral once more, and reality subtly shifting from one vague local to the next, in a roller-coaster of visual stimuli that proved to be anything but pleasant.

The next lurch was even harder, in some ways. Instead of a hard ground under a hot sun, Kyle splashed down in waters that felt all too arctic for his tastes, and suddenly, he was wishing for the heat again, fighting the urge to scream and lock up as numbness quickly spread inward from his extremities. Just as his shivering body started to slip below the waves, there was a familiar, though now-hated twisting sensation, and the cold was replaced by tumbling, this time accompanied by trembling, and he wondered if he was dying. Or maybe he had died, and this was Hell. 'Not a bad start,' he mused darkly, closing his eyes and seeing the light from the other side of his eyelids vary in intensity at random.

Another flash, another slam, this one eliciting a yelp of pained surprise as something hard poked him in the back before falling, the hard object surrounded by something far softer, but too thin to effectively cushion his landing as the hard floor below it managed to induce another yell of pain. Rolling over with a Groan, Kyle blearily peeled one eye open, wincing at the harsh lights above as he grabbed the cloth beneath him and tried to sit up. Unfortunately, before he could get halfway there, the world around him began to flash again, and the floor went back to being insubstantial once more. Adding to the surreal experience, however, was the cloth, which looked more like a single-piece body suit; it had somehow come along for the ride with his fist clenched tightly around a part of it.

Before, there'd been only light, and phantom touches, but now, a slowly-growing roar could be heard, like an oncoming train, and Kyle shuddered slightly as he imagined landing in front of one. At least it'd probably be quick. As the roar grew to epic proportions, the rapidly altering scenery around him faded to darkness, the sound dimming with it, until there was nothing, no more feelings, no light, no sound. And then a blinding light far away winked into existence, before rushing towards him with a muffled bass hum.

The world around Kyle snapped into focus with unusual clarity, the outfit in his hand flapping wildly as he flailed his arms after appearing in midair. Unfortunately, fully-substantial this time, he was only there for a moment before gravity took hold of him, dragging him towards the surface below.

"Oh, Shiiiii-" was all he got out before he and the ground were introduced.

Xxxxx

A bed of rainbows. That's what Matt imagined this sensation must look like. A bed of rainbows stretched across the sky, leaping from cloud to cloud. With bunnies.

That's how Matt felt; like he was being separated into his component pieces, and half-haphazardously being thrown incredibly long distances to land in places he wasn't even sure were real. Vibrating the whole time.

He didn't know when it had started, only that it been going on far too long. With each successive jump, the shaking in his body got worse, and it was all he could to to concentrate on the fact that his world around him kept shifting every three to seven seconds.

Finally, in the middle of one of his jumps, Matt fell and gripped the slightly rubbery ground of this latest world beneath his fingers as hard as he could, willing himself to meld with the material and hopefully become immobile. It worked only partially, as he continued to jump, but at least he had something to hang onto to stop the shaking; namely, the deck of an Ohio-class nuclear-powered submarine. Incidentally the rest of the ship stayed attached to its deck, and came along for the ride.

On his next few leaps through the dimensions lugging around the giant submarine, he quelled an uprising on Artemus Tau, surprised a World War Two British prime minister, and interrupted the Yankees verses Red Socks world series. All of this was ignored in favor of keeping his eyes shut and hoping everything would just. Stop. Moving.

It did.

Xxxxx

Despite not knowing that her wish had been heartfelt and true, and maybe, just maybe, a small part of her had hoped it would come true, Queen Serenity would have been just as surprised if she had been aware of her wish when a giant metal _thing_ slammed into the ground out of nowhere, moments before the sound of someone yelling above her tore her attention away from the... whatever-it-was and towards a frightened-looking man who appeared to be falling.

Stepping back in shock, she watched as he hit the ground a few feet away and bounced slightly on the lunar surface.

By that time, the sudden and unexpected disturbance had drawn the attention of her guards, and as shouts of alarm and the clanking of armor grew louder, she took a hesitant step forward, only to gasp in surprise when a second figure, another male, slid down from the top of the metal object. He landed with a spectacular splash in the large fountain that dominated the garden.

The first figure groaned in pain once, but lay still, apparently unconscious. The second, having somewhat less of a drop and softer landing, twitched slightly in the shade of his giant companion. Finally, Serenity's awe was broken by concern.

"What is it, Majesty?" Luna asked from beside her.

"I've no idea, Luna. But these two are wounded. In my palace, no less! We must heal them, first. We can worry about it later," the Queen stated, before moving forward towards the fallen figure on the ground.

"Majesty, it could be a weapon," Artemis warned, a frown marring his feline features. Serenity's forward momentum froze. She'd not considered that. Her Kingdom had been restless recently, to be sure, but would those causing such problems actually have the audacity to strike at her? At the Royal Palace?

"By Serenity and all that is good! What in the Queen's name is that?" Marcus, Captain of the Royal Guard, asked as he approached. Shaking his head dismissively, he turned to the nearest subordinate and pointed at the bodies in the courtyard. "Seize them." Turning towards the Queen, he moved to stand between her and the object in the courtyard, before stating, as respectfully as he could, "Your Highness, it is not safe here. You must go inside. My men and I will see to it that this terrorists are dealt with."

"Yes, majesty. Lets go where we can be sure of our safety!" Luna prompted.

Artemis glanced over at the bodies, and the fallen object with a more jaundiced eye. If the device had yet to do anything so far, it was unlikely to do anything at all, he figured. However, he decided to keep his mouth shut, knowing the Queen was more than capable of making the right decision in an instance as simple as this. Which is why her response to the captain of the Guard surprised him.

"Absolutely not! These two men are wounded, maybe on the verge of death. Bring the Court Healer! And fish that other man out of the pool before he drowns," She ordered. The Captain of the Guard looked as if he wanted to disobey, before turning and nodding to the nearest subordinate, who ran towards the pool, weapon discarded.

"Queen Serenity, even if they pose no threat, that thing is unknown. For the time being, you should move to a safer location, if for no other reason than to settle my nerves. This has been the most bizarre interruption to a routine day in ages, and I hesitate to think of our failure to stop these two before they got this far." The captain was obviously upset, but having been hand chosen for this position years ago, Serenity understood his concern. Even if secretly she didn't share it.

"We could wait for them to heal," Artemis offered, as the two bodies were set beside the walkway awaiting the arrival of the Court Healer. Luna glared at Artemis, but held her tongue as Serenity looked on in obvious concern. The dark-haired cat's glare dissolved upon seeing that look. This was Serenity, who loved her people more than life itself. Even those who might be in league with the terrorists causing trouble on the various planets.

As the Healer summoned a quartet of orderlies bearing a pair of stretches, Serenity nodded. "Then we shall," she stated, turning towards the palace, and the infirmary within.

Watching as the Queen and her primary advisers departed, Marcus turned towards the newest addition to the Palace Courtyard and let loose a sigh he'd been holding since the queen first displayed her trust in them.

"Someone call the Senshi of Mercury. I have the feeling this is something beyond even my paygrade." Turning to look at one of the Privates staring at the object with obvious curiosity, he slapped the kid softly on the shoulder to get his attention, before nodding towards the two stretchers being carried inside. "Go with them, son. Be sure the Queen is safe if and when those two are revived."

The boy, who couldn't have been over seventeen, snapped to attention and saluted with energy the Captain himself hadn't felt in many years. "Sir! By your command!" The private trotted off after the medics.

"They only seem to get younger," Marcus muttered to himself as he unclasped his helmet. Taking it off, he took his first unfiltered breath of the day. He turned a jaundiced eye to the giant black, metallic object currently crushing half of the roses in the palace gardens.

"You'd better not give me any trouble, you monstrosity," he told the object firmly.

The only response from the imposing machine was silence.

Marcus grinned humorlessly. "That's what I thought."

Xxxxx

"Your majesty, you shouldn't be here." An orderly, dressed in the white of her craft, whispered urgently to the Queen. She had spied her majesty walking past the troops stationed outside the doorway and into the guarded ward where the two persons of unidentifiable nature were being kept.

Serenity responded with a single raised eyebrow.

The orderly blushed crimson. "You're right, I had no business telling her majesty where she can or cannot be in her own castle, shutting up and sitting over here now." With effort she closed her mouth and held it shut as she moved to a chair in the corner of the room. She plopped herself down forcefully and attempted to will the blood to leave her face.

Serenity glided over to where the two patients were currently sleeping. Neither looked like the type committed to the downfall of the Moon Kingdom, nor did either feel like there was any significant amount of evil in their hearts.

"Are these interlopers, or unfortunates?" the Queen whispered to herself. She asked in a louder tone, directed at the orderly, "When are they expected to awake?"

"Any moment, your highness. Captain Marcus wanted them up as soon as possible for questioning."

It took only a moment for the Queen to decide. "I'll take over for Marcus. I'm sure he won't mind."

"I-! Er, uh, yes, my Queen," the orderly finished uncertainly. "If it pleases your highness, I'll take my leave then."

Serenity nodded, and the uncomfortable orderly left the room post-haste. In her absence, the Queen walked over to the seat previously occupied and sat down in it, waiting for her two "guests" to awake.

She did not realize how tired she was. In no time at all Serenity drifted off to sleep.

Xxxxx

Kyle awoke with a start, eyes wide in the well-lit room for a moment as the last remnants of memory came painfully to the forefront of his consciousness.

With a groan, he rolled onto his side, frowning at the bright light, before reaching up to check his body, from face to thighs. When everything seemed okay, he tried to sit up and figure out where he was, not recognizing the featureless white ceiling but assuming he was in a hospital.

"This... is not my room," he muttered, partially telling himself the last thing he remembered hadn't been a dream, but mainly to hear _something_ familiar, because what he was remembering... didn't make much sense.

Particularly considering the lack of injuries; that clashed rather abruptly with his memories of falling towards the ground and a fairly painful impact. So, if it hadn't been a dream, but couldn't have been real...

... He wasn't alone. Blinking in shock at having missed the rather frilly white dress and silver hair (but no wrinkles?) Kyle tried to collect his thoughts, and wondering who she was, and why she seemed to be in his hospital room.

Looking around again, his attention was drawn back to the snoozing figure, and a frown slowly emerged as her features did ring a bell. It had been years, but the now-familiar twin-ponytail hairstyle with jeweled buns on the top of the head was obviously an attempt at Sailor Moon.

'No' he mused internally, 'not Sailor Moon. _Queen Serenity._' And it was probably the best damn cosplay attempt he'd ever seen, whether in real life or online. The jewelry looked real without looking gaudy, the dress shone like actual silk, and the woman's makeup was well-applied, not layered on like so many women seemed to do at conventions.

Actually, now that he was looking, it was almost unsettling how... accurate this person had gotten the costume. There was something almost regal about her, even just sleeping in a chair. She was, from head to toe, a spitting image of the Queen Serenity he recalled from years ago. Even down to a pair of uncomfortable-looking shoes.

Tearing his eyes away from the best-dressed award winner of the century (or millennium) he quickly examined the rest of the room, noting a table covered in things like clothes and what appeared to be his MP3 player, and another person lying in a bed similar to his.

It was, in fact, another guy, so whatever had happened to him might not have just been a one-time thing.

Eyes slowly creeping back to the sleeping figure in the chair, Kyle coughed once, gently, to get her attention, then a little louder when the first failed to work.

The Serenity came to as he would have expected someone playing a queen to, a change from sleep to wakefulness in in instant, and a rapid assessment of the environment. Or maybe that was what he expected from a soldier? Either way, after a second to place the room, her eyes turned to his, and Kyle had to restrain a wince when he realized that, just as accurate as the rest of her, her eyes were the deepest, liveliest blue he could recall ever seeing. And there was no shift of contacts when she blinked, those were the natural color.

"That," he said, finally, "is the best costume I think... no, I _know_... I've ever seen."

The woman dressed as queen raised a stately eyebrow. "Oh? What kind of costume do you believe this to be?" she asked with some amusement.

"And such a regal voice! I am impressed. And confused. Probably not in that order, either," Kyle said, looking around again before shrugging and kicking his legs out to rest on the floor. "So.. umm... Where am I?" He paused to look her over again, before shaking his head. "And with that getup on, do you want me to call you Your Highness? Because I'm suitably impressed enough to actually do it... once or twice."

Making a great show of putting a finger on her chin in thought, the woman in front of Kyle appeared to mull the question over. "Hmmmm. While in public that would be preferable; in private, I shall allow you to address me simply as 'Serenity.'" She smiled mischievously at this pronouncement.

Kyle couldn't help an amused snort from slipping. "And witty... Well then, your worshipfulness. Please excuse the genre-cross, but... well.. I'm still a little confused." Standing slowly before making his way over to the table, Kyle began scooping up the things he recognized as his. Wallet and cell phone, MP3-Player, work badge and keys, each one went into a pocket or clipped to belt loops with relative ease, as he'd long grown used to gearing up for a day of work.

It took several seconds of awkward silence, but finally Serenity spoke. "I've heard it said that, when one is lost, ones best bet is to retrace their steps. So tell me: how is it that you believe you came to this place?"

Kyle idly flipped the magnetic leather flap of his cell-phone case a couple times before sitting back down on the bed. "Honestly? I think that's what's confusing me. I remember answering the door for... I think it was Dani... and before that, I'd just gotten home from work and was talking to a friend while I tossed my bag in the closet." He paused, fishing out his keys and staring at them for a second, before activating his Blizzard Account Authenticator, shrugging, and stuffing the handful of metal and plastic back in his pocket.

"After that, I can't really remember. There was a moment I thought I'd gotten hit in the head, and... falling?" He looked worried now, suddenly remembering, vividly, the plunge into freezing water, and the pain of landing on something hard. "Did I fall? Someone push me over the railing?" His voice was quiet now, talking more to himself than to her. Finally, he shook his head. "I think I'd have a better chance of figuring this out if I knew where I was."

"DON'T LET THE MONKEY GO!"

Both Kyle and Serenity were taken aback by the sudden shout from the second bed. When it became apparent the person speaking was still asleep and did not appear to be waking soon, both relaxed slightly.

"Your friend seems to be something of a deep sleeper," Serenity remarked. "My healer assures me he should wake soon."

"Indeed," Kyle replied, still unsure what to make of the random exclamation. "I have to point out, however, that I don't know them... And 'healer?' Not a doctor?"

Serenity nodded, thinking furiously. This person seemed to have no idea who she truly was. She wasn't vain enough to think that _everybody_ in her kingdom knew her, but this wasn't one of those rare few; he seemed to have recognized her as someone pretending to be herself. The absurdity of that thought, coupled with his obvious recognition, bordered on the unreal. Had she not been so accustomed to the unexpected and odd where magic was concerned, she might have been tempted to summon one of the guards outside.

As it was however, she was beginning to suspect that this young man, if not both of them, had come from the far future... perhaps even sent back by the Gates of Time she was currently having built out on the edge of the solar system. If that was the case, then the situation must have been dire; she'd already decreed that interfering with the past was an action not to be employed lightly.

"While I fully intend to show you around, I think I'd have a better grasp of where to begin if you first told me where- and possible _when_- you come from," Serenity stated.

Kyle blinked. "Riiight... This is a nice... set? Something. Whatever. But I don't have time to play around."

Serenity frowned. "Oh? Am I interrupting something?" she asked.

"..." Kyle paused, mouth ajar, before snapping it shut and fixing the woman with a glare. "Not exactly interrupting. But I'm not really in a good mood, waking up from something that could have been an attack and being forced to deal with actors." He paused for a second to look her over, before shrugging and adding: "no matter how authentic or cute they may be."

Understanding dawned on Serenity. "You really have no idea where you are, do you?"

Kyle's frown deepened. "Didn't I just say that?"

The queen chanced a smile. "Not exactly, but I understood most of it. You have my apologies; I had assumed you were from the future, come back with a warning or message for me. I see now that this isn't the case... and now, more than ever, I'd like... need, even, to know where you came from. Your appearance in my Garden... your attitude... Everything is fairly alien, to be honest." She paused to look him over as he had, and he shifted uncomfortable as he realized she was being serious.

"I'm from Jacksonville, Florida. United States, North America, Northern Hemisphere, Earth, Third planet in the Solar System... and 2008 Anno Domini," Kyle stated, his frown deepening into a scowl. "Where am I? Be serious, please."

"Like I said, you're in the healing quarters of my Palace, which is on the moon." She paused, before straightening up. "You're from Earth?"

"Yes," he muttered, glancing around again. "Do you really expect me to believe that we're on the moon?"

She smiled at him and stood up. "Of course not. I intend to show you that you're on the moon."

She turned towards the door, before turning to glace at him over her shoulder. "Coming?"

"Do I have any choice?" Kyle asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets and following behind her. The two of them traveled in silence, Kyle partially lost in thought, and occasionally surprised at the level of detail surrounding him.

Finally, they reached a doorway, the arching marble architecture both extravagant in its workmanship, and obviously _not_ part of any recognizable airlock system he could think off that didn't involve force fields. Outside was a well-manicured garden, a roman-style pool surrounded by fountain-topped ivy-covered columns, a row of hedges that looked suspiciously like roses, and...

"Holy Shit, is that a Boomer?" Kyle asked, upon spying the USS Nebraska lying on a field and partially crushing some of the roses as well as a line of hedge.

"I'm unsure... it arrived the same time you and that other man did. Is that what it's called? A 'boomer?'"

Kyle opened his mouth to reply, but suddenly caught sight of something beyond the submarine that commanded his whole attention.

"Oh damn," he muttered as he gazed upon the serene blue-green planet above. The whirls of clouds and star-studded backdrop far too realistic to be a projection or screen.

"I'm on the moon?" he asked, softly.

"Yes," Serenity supplied, watching him closely.

"And... I'm not dreaming?" He asked, frowning. Glancing over at the Boomer again, he turned around to glance at the palace before turning to Serenity.

"If you are, I'm remarkably well imagined. I have a long history of memories, and seem to think for myself... you must be quite the lucid dreamer," she said, smiling slightly to herself.

"Cute," he mumbled sarcastically, before looking at the plate-armored guards circling the submarine warily.

"Well, I guess... I'll just have to see how long this lasts. I don't remember there being a submarine in the Silver Millennium, so I'll reserve judgment... for now... But I suppose I should at least be a bit more courteous to you, since you apparently aren't just some fan in a costume," Kyle offered, finally.

Serenity positively beamed at Kyle. "Excellent. However, I do not wish to explain myself more than once, so, if you don't mind, we'll wait for your friend to regain consciousness." She motioned towards the inside of the palace. Kyle followed her back, too absorbed in his thoughts to rebuke the comment about 'his friend,' or note how large a building the Moon Palace really was.


	3. Chapter 2

The sight that greeted the two as they entered was a strange one. In their absence, the remaining man had apparently woken up, and with nothing better to do had entertained himself by taking his bed sheet to fashion a turban out of the cloth. He faced away from the door and stared at the wall intently.

"... umm.. what?" Kyle blurted out upon seeing the other sleeper.

Surprising everyone involved, including the queen herself, Serenity was overcome with a fit of the giggles.

The man fell backwards to get a better look at whoever had entered the room, knocking the impromptu turban off his head. Eyes swept past both woman and man, before sitting himself up facing both. "I take it I'm either in an insane asylum, or have gone crazy."

"With the way you were acting when we arrived, I think the latter is probably the most likely," Kyle stated flatly, before turning towards the door they'd just come in through. Maybe he should have serenity call for guards? An insane man was not something he was ready to deal with, considering all he'd gone through already.

Then he frowned. That other guy's voice was actually somewhat familiar, and Kyle noticed recognition dawning in the other guy's eyes as well. "What's your name?" He asked, frowning suspiciously.

"Matt."

A sinking feeling in his stomach, Kyle glanced at the still amused Serenity, before seeking clarification; "Tannim?"

Matt nodded. "Kagato?"

Kyle shrugged, "swapped it with Magus, but yeah." Glancing over at Serenity again, he sighed, before moving over to slouch on the table

"I saw the guards in freakin' armor, and figured I had gone bonkers. No one wears that these days, and they wouldn't let me out of the room." He chuckled a bit, then got his first, real good look at the queen and all humor left his face, to be replaced with confusion. "Queen Serenity?" he asked, stunned. "Now I know I'm nuts."

"Your mind is whole, young one, I assure you," Serenity spoke. "It appears much needs to be done in the way of explanations." She looked at both of the men. "For all of us."

"So it would seem," Kyle intoned mirthlessly, straightening up before glancing at Serenity in thought. After a moment, he spoke. "You do have the Silver Crystal, right? The most powerful magical artifact in this universe?"

"I do," Serenity replied with a nod.

Kyle gave a tired smile. "Well, it's not that I really was doing anything important, but I'd kind of like to go home, and so I'm thinking that something as powerful as that might be able to let me get back before my roommate starts to realize I'm gone. She'd be fairly pissed if I left her to pay the rent by herself."

"So, wait. We're really here? As in, in Sailor Moon?" Matt interrupted.

Kyle nodded, restraining a smile as he saw the look of confusion on Serenity's face. "Yep. Serenity, Matt; Matt, Serenity. Can we go home now?"

"Dude!" Matt looked at Kyle like _he_ was the crazy one. "Why would you want to leave?"

Kyle blinked. "You mean... aside from what we know will happen? This is Sailor Moon. More specifically, the Silver Millennium. Nothing to do but dance and dine. Peace, Prosperity... and you know the rest." Glancing over at the observant Queen, he couldn't help but wince a little, knowing what was to come.

Serenity, for her part, was growing concerned. Not only did they apparently not realize how troubled her kingdom was at the moment, they both seemed to know (Or Kyle assumed Matt knew) about some upcoming event that neither would want to be around for. She found it very unlikely that anything good would be met with such obvious avoidance, and briefly wondered what kind of problems she'd have to deal with in the upcoming future.

"I can assure you that we do far more than dance and dine here. This is the capital of an empire. We sleep and learn, and live... and sadly, in this day and age, sometimes die. This is not the peaceful period of gaiety you seem to think it is."

Matt stared longer at the queen than was strictly necessary. The reality of the situation was really starting to freak him out a little, especially since Serenity was acting so, well... regal. Entirely too much for his mental health. He shook his head slightly to clear it.

"Sorry. I've- we've got a lot on our mind, I suppose. Finding out we're... where we are. Does that." Matt squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again to the same visage that was there before. "Okay, not a dream." He turned to Kyle, glanced at Serenity and asked, "What do we do now?"

Kyle frowned. "Well, I assume you know about Casualty and things like predestination paradoxes and all that jazz. I think, strongly, that we should go before time itself tries to correct the issues we're undoubtedly bringing up."

"That junk? I'm assuming that's all tossed out the window the moment we got here." Matt shook his head. "I mean, why else would we be here if not to... you know." He threw his hands up in the air. "That or my previous 'we've gone nuts' theory still stands. I'm still having trouble believing this is really real."

Kyle couldn't help but chuckle. "You've yet to see the Submarine currently trampling her Majesty's roses. If ever there was a reason to believe that you're dreaming, that's it. But the view kinda... shatters the illusion." Kyle paused, lost in thought for a second, before continuing, "It's one of those sights that, if you see it in a dream, you're likely to wake up gasping for breath. It's just that... poignant."

"I trust you both have come to the same conclusion, that you are here, now?"

Matt and Kyle nodded.

"Then would you please explain why you seem to know this place, despite never having been here before? Or myself for that matter?"

Previously, Serenity had been speaking in a soft, comforting manner, to put both travelers at ease. This time she spoke as one would expect a queen to: a voice like velvet covering iron. Gentleness barely hid the steel behind her request. Both men blanched.

Kyle nodded slowly as he contemplated how to phrase things. Finally, "before we get to explaining, I think we should, as responsible adults.. or something close to it... discuss something you might not fully be aware of."

"You mean the casualty and predestination paradoxes you spoke of earlier?" The Queen countered.

"Well, yeah. I mean, I don't think you like being in the dark, but isn't that better than doing everything you can to stop an event that may or may not be inevitable? Only to find out that you might have caused it in your preparations, or that, despite said preparations, the event was escalated to take those into account for the same net results?"

"What he means to say is: we have reasonable evidence to believe that one day you're all probably gonna die, and we don't want to help that along," Matt interjected.

Kyle buried his face in his hands and groaned.

Matt shrugged. "What? That's what it all boils down to, isn't it? It's like ripping off a band-aid; better get the hard stuff over with quickly."

Glancing at Serenity's stunned face, Kyle smiled at her; a smile that did not reach his eyes. "Could you excuse us for a second?" Grabbing Matt's wrist, he dragged the other man outside and, ignoring the guards watching them intently, began to talk quietly, "As much as I admire your desire to 'get it over with,' that probably could have been done with a bit more tact. Not to mention the fact that, coming to her with such a warning and no proof, we're just as liable to be accused of planning the event than trying to help. And really.. do you want to be here for that? In her dungeon or something?"

"Dude, there's really no gentle way to put that kind of news." Despite his seemingly cavalier attitude, Matt looked uneasy.

Kyle sighed. "Not really, no. But we could have written it in a note and left before she read it or something. Now we're likely to be held here indefinitely until she has some answers, and I do NOT want to be here during the fall."

"Please, just tell me one thing; tell me my baby survives," Serenity, who'd exited silently behind them, now asked. Her hand was on her belly, not yet showing in any way, and a look of eternal grief threatened her features.

"...she even gets a really nice home in the rebirth," Matt finally managed.

Kyle nodded, before adding, "How do you think we know about all this?" With an enigmatic smile, he shrugged. "Your daughter becomes every bit the queen you are."

Serenity, despite this encouragement, seemed to deflate even more. "And I... won't be there to witness it."

The poleaxed expression on Matt's face betrayed his inner feelings on the subject to Serenity, even before he could speak. With a weak smile he pointed out, "Well, at least it looks like we've got fourteen years or so. Assuming, of course, our information remains accurate. We honestly have no clue what is going to happen leading up to things, aside from some vague ideas. That and you'll probably want to check our sanity once you find out the medium for said information, too."

Serenity shook her head slowly, looking preoccupied. "No, I... I can understand your desire to leave. And I thank you for telling me what you have. It may be futile to try, but at least I have time to prepare, if nothing else." looking the two over, she smiled slightly. "You are two of the oddest people I've met in quite some time. A pity you're leaving so soon."

"Leaving?' Kyle asked, perplexed. Then understanding dawned on him. "You mean... you're sending us home? No more questions?"

"I don't wanna go home," Matt whined quietly, at a volume only he could hear. "I've got a mountain of homework waiting for me." Despondent, he sighed. "The chance of a lifetime, even if only for a few years... action and adventure... beautiful girls..." He continued to grumble to himself under his breath. "...can't believe... ...we're just gonna up and leave it behind..."

Taking the Silver Crystal out of the dimensional pocket only royalty had access to, Serenity closed her eyes, and called forth the power that was her birthright. "Just think of your homes, and I shall send you there."

Kyle, nodding absently at her words, thought over what Matt was muttering. 'Action and adventure for a few years, huh?' Turning to the other dimensionally-lost human, Kyle smirked. "When we get back, re-subscribe to WoW. We can have some Action an Adventure from the safety of our computers."

"Azeroth? Man, I really hate that place!"

"No! Home! Your Ho-" Serenity started to yell, before the two disappeared in a flash of light... along with the Queen herself.


	4. Chapter 3

It was calm. It was cold. It was known throughout the Alliance as home to the dwarves, Dun Morogh. Most creatures tended to stay out of the snow that blanketed this mountainous area, and those that frequented it were lean from hard living. It was not an easy place to eke out a living, and as a consequence, wild animals were few and far between.

This last tidbit of information was particularly fortunate for the three that were currently unconscious and curled together underneath a tall, verdant green pine tree. Limbs laden with the powdery snow shaded the trio from the sun's harsh light, but as a shadow passed overhead, once, then again, it became apparent that something large had spotted them. Spotted them, or been searching for them.

"Wretched mortals," the lumbering figure groused as is hovered over them briefly before landing with a rumble that shook the snow from the nearby trees. Pausing to brush away the snow that had landed on the center figure, Cerullenos quickly plucked the artifact from its housing on the female of the trio and held it up, admiring its luster in the morning rays.

"Lord Malygos will be pleased," he rumbled to himself, before sparing another glance at the unconscious humans. "That humans could have such a powerful artifact in their possession..." he muttered, as his mighty blue wings stretched out and began flapping. As he flew away quickly gaining speed, his last spoken words, fading into the morning air echoed across the land; "at least disaster has been averted in denying them a power they are not fit to understand."

As silence once again descended upon the clearing, a new sound emerged. This one far more energetic.

"I swear! A Blue Dragon! Who knows what it was doing out here!" A relatively high-pitched voice cried out, moments before the tiny figure it belonged to cleared a snow bank. Dressed in rather extravagant-yet-over-sized purple robes, the figure looked almost like a caricature of a rather short human, with a prominent nose, large eyes, and a rather disconcerting comb over. To those who knew it however, Jax Spinsprocket was pretty much a perfect example of a gnome.

"Ah Dunnae see no dragon, Jax, but ah think Ol' Blue's spotted something all tha same." A new voice cried out, this one belonging to a figure similar in stature, but heftier in build. Where the gnome was almost comically proportioned, Shane Swiftfist was build like a tank, as most Dwarves were. Despite his name however, he rarely used his fists, preferring the tools that hung from his belt to do the work he'd devoted his life to.

"Hmph," The final member of their little party replied, shifting from the stealthier midnight-blue panther form to his natural shape. Unlike the others, who barely topped a meter in height, Vaun topped two meters easy, and his dark purple skin, long tapered ears, glowing yellow eyes and emerald green hair were typical of his race, the Night Elves of Kalimdor. "Sometimes I really wonder why I put up with you, Shane."

The dwarf laughed as he walked on, approaching the figures beneath the tree as he replied, "Maybe because ah saved yer green whiskers in the wetlands during tha last little fiasco."

The Night Elves glowing eyes narrowed. "If I told you once, I've told you a thousand times! Those Crocolisks were coming closer to listen to me, not attack!"

"Of course they weren't attacking! Nae need tae attack a snack that stands there like a lump!" Shane shot back, before flipping the nearest figure over. "By Muradin's Hammer! These three are alive!"

"Fortuitous for them... and with such odd clothing... is it enchanted?" The Druid asked, ignoring the Archaeologist's earlier dig.

"Do you think they fell off a Gryphon?" Jax asked, peering skyward as if hoping to spot a figure falling from the Dwarves preferred mode of travel.

"Nae Gryphon holds three riders at once, Jax, and ah doubt two unruly gryphons would throw their charge so close together, much less three," Shane replied, before reaching out to rub the cloth of the female's dress between his finger and thumb.

While Jax was a Mage, Shane knew his interest in the arcane, vast as it was, tended towards its more destructive abilities. On the other hand, as an Archeologist, despite his lack of combat skill, Shane knew quite a bit about enchanted items, though he preferred relics over garments. Still, to his trained senses, the surprisingly soft fabric felt plain to him. "Nae magic at'oll. At least, none so far as ah can teel."

Taking a step back, Shane frowned. "What kind o' person travels inta Dun Morogh without a cloak or jersey tae keep out the cold?" Shaking his head in disgust, he answered his own question: "humans..."

"What's that on his belt?" Jax asked, poking an odd, leather-covered box.

"That's unimportant right now. Look at those two, they're turning blue. And the female looks to be joining them in slowly freezing," Vaun stated. Turning to examine the nearby tree line, he scowled. "There aren't many predators out here, but I doubt three unconscious humans would last much longer in this weather, and they'd definitely not be able to put up a fight if a pack of wolves found them. We need to take them to Kharanos."

"Aye, though before that, ah think we should warm them up some. In these woods, the shade can make quite a difference," Shane said.

"Ooh! Do you want me to start a fire?" Jax asked, grinning widely.

"NO!" Both Shane and Vaun yelled at the same time.

Not at all disturbed by their vehement denial, Jax tried a different request, "Want me to try to make a portal to Kharanos? I think I can get it this time, instead of the Molten Core."

Shane shuddered at the memory, before responding. "Ah think ah'll start a fire here, an' Vaun can find us tae quickest path to town. You just... make sure nae more of them blue dragons come by."

"I was serious!" The gnome insisted, While Vaun transformed back into a cat and slunk away into the tree line.

"So was ah, laddie. So was ah."

Xxxxx

Matt groaned. If he had to put a descriptor to just how horrible he felt right now, even though he was trying to think of anything but, he'd have to say it was as though his whole body had a massive migraine. It wasn't anything in particular that caused him absolute agony; it was the sheer, all-pervasiveness that threaded his entire being together as one, large, lump sum of pain.

"I THINK THIS ONE IS COMING TO!"

This caused Matt to wince sharply, jostling his already delicate constitution and causing him to lose whatever lunch he had left his home dimension with. After he was done heaving his guts out he whispered quietly, "...could you keep it down please...?"

"KEEP WHAT DOWN?" an inquisitive and all-together too cheerful voice asked him. At this point Matt was certain whoever had the voice hated him and wanted him dead, as rather than listen to him, the voice laughed louder. "THIS ONE'S FUNNY, SHANE!"

"Ah thought ah tol' yoo to stay away from 'em, Jax! Yer scaring the wee lad!" Mercifully, the second voice was far, far away from the first, saving Matt another jolt.

"HE DOESN'T LOOK TOO GOOD, SHANE. WHAT DO I DO? I GOT A POTION GOOD FOR HEALING."

The last thing Matt noticed before blacking out again, besides the acrid taste in his mouth, was someone shouting nearby, "...by all that is holy Jax, do NOT try tae give him somma yer homemade brew!"

Xxxxx

This time, his journey from sleep to wakefulness was remarkably different for Matt. Soft, downy sheets enveloped and comforted the weary traveler, cocooning him in a warm embrace of gentle bliss. A score of angel wings laid out for a sleeping mat would not have felt as comfy. Sweet perfume wafted in from the open window and tickled the nose, eliciting a soft sigh of contentment.

"Oh! You're awake."

If the bed had felt like the perfect definition of comfort, the voice that had elected to speak would have been exactly what Matt expected a goddess to sound like. The soft contralto of her voice sent shivers down his spine, prompting him to open his eyes fully.

What greeted Matt's sight was something other than he expected. While the woman wasn't hideous by any definition of the word, she was decidedly... average-looking. Certainly not the picture of loveliness he had mentally envisioned.

"Uh... hi?"

"You poor dears!" the woman exclaimed. "To have wandered out into Dun Morogh dressed like you were. It's lucky that archeologist stumbled into where you were, or else you could have died from the cold!"

"Uh... huh. Um, where did you say we were?" Matt gave the room a quick glance, noting two of the other three beds were filled with Kyle and, much to his surprise, Serenity.

"Dun Morogh," a new voice exclaimed as it's owner walked through the doorway. unlike the not-quite-homely woman with the honeyed-voice, this figure was decidedly short, stout, and hairy. He (and it was definitely male) also didn't look quite as friendly as the woman.

"... when did we get to Disneyland?" Matt asked with a puzzled expression on his face.

Kyle, who had been slowly coming to, recognized the line, and replied, "da-dink dink," before even bothering to open his eyes. Of course, when he did, his smile died as shock and surprise replaced mirth.

"What is Disneyland?" Serenity asked, coming to with more grace than the others. Her voice pulled Kyle's shocked stare from the dwarf to the Queen of the Silver Millennium, and he felt his head spin as it tried to process what it was receiving.

"Where are we?" he asked again, voice barely above a whisper.

Frowning, the dwarf threw his hands in the air in exasperation. "Ye three are in me inn, in Kharanos. Which is in Dun Morogh! Didn't ye even know where ye wandered off to?"

Before any of the three could respond, he shook his head and spun around towards the door. "Bah! Humans." He grumbled, as he left. "And you three owe me for tha use o' those beds!" he called back from the hallway outside.

Serenity's eyes widened at she realized something was missing. She clutched at her chest. She whispered, "It's gone."

Her voice was so full of dread it drew everyone's attention despite the quietness of the speech. Kyle was the first to respond. "What is?"

With great force of will, the queen drew herself to her full seated height. Her voice wavered and nearly cracked with intensity. "The Silver Crystal has been stolen."

Matt and Kyle's eyes met in identical 'oh shit' looks that they threw to one another. Matt responded, "That does not bode well."

"What's a 'Silver Crystal," the woman who had been standing there the whole time asked.

"It's a crystal. Silver. Actually, more like a big-ass diamond," Kyle replied, absentmindedly.

She frowned at that, turning towards Serenity. "This crystal, is it magical in nature?"

Serenity merely nodded, turning to look at her two erstwhile companions. While she trusted them both to a degree, she did not know them, or this place, and the unfamiliarity was disconcerting to one who'd spent so many decades within the white marble halls of the Moon Palace.

However odd they may have been, she knew in her heart they wouldn't have stolen the crystal, and felt a brief flash of shame for having accused them, even in the privacy of her own mind. She started upon realizing that the woman, whose name she didn't even know, had said something.

"Excuse me?" She asked, returning her attention to the world around her.

"I said that the three who found you all were reprimanding one of their companions for his claims to have seen a blue dragon near where you were discovered."

Kyle's shocked look had turned to one of dread. "A... blue dragon... You said we're in Dun Morogh?"

"Indeed. Oh, but where are my manners! I'm Healer's Apprentice Gladys."

"Queen Serenity the Second, of the Silver Millennium," Serenity replied, the habitual response spilling forth despite numerous years since she'd had to use it.

"Uh-huh..." Kyle muttered, wondering how the Healer would take it. "I'm... Kyle. No single profession or trade."

Gladys' stare at Queen Serenity faltered, and she turned to look Kyle over again with a slight frown, having heard similar introductions before. The few who meant precisely that were rather rare, and a somewhat seasoned individual such as herself knew that most who referred to themselves as such tended to be, at best, mercenaries, if not confidence men, or straight-out thieves.

"I'm Guybrush Threepwood, a mighty pirate!" At Kyle's disapproving frown, he amended his statement. "Er, my real name is Matt, and I believe we've gone from Oz straight on into Never Never Land. Sorry about this."

"... Matt... we're in Azeroth." Kyle stated flatly.

"That's beside the point," Matt replied, sliding into a familiar bickering role he'd taken up with Kyle over the years. "I was making an allegory. Sheesh." He paused. "Wait, as in 'WoW' Azeroth? _That_ Azeroth?"

Kyle placed a hand over his face and sighed. "... As in Alliance, Horde, Scourge, Burning Legion, and all the trimmings."

"Wow."

"That's what I said."

Matt turned to Serenity with an incredulous expression on his face. "Why would you send us to here of all places?"

Serenity shot back with a piercing stare. "It was not I who forgot they were supposed to be thinking about their home."

He raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Uh, right. My bad."

"So... Why are _you_ here, Highnessness?" Kyle asked, looking somewhat confused.

Serenity frowned. "I was trying to send you two home, when your attention suddenly wavered. At least, I assume it did. At the culmination of my attempt, I felt briefly like something was about to pierce my very soul, and the next thing I knew, I was waking up here..." She trailed off before giving the two calculating looks. "I assume from your lack of mental discipline, that your world has little in the way of magic?"

"Yeah, though you can replace 'little in the way of' with 'absolutely none,'" Kyle replied flatly.

"I see," Serenity replied. No understanding of even the basics of magic, and she'd been so quick to grant their request. She sighed to herself, realizing she had only herself to blame. "You two know of this world, then?" She asked.

Kyle shrugged. "Enough to know that a blue dragon would definitely be interested in the Silver Crystal." he turned to fix Gladys with the most intense stare he could. "Has the Dark portal in the Blasted Lands been re-opened, and contact with the Alliance Forces on the far side re-established?"

Gladys was shocked by the conversation the trio had been having, and she was just about to chalk all three up as possible escapees from an asylum when the man in the rightmost bed began asking her detailed questions about the world. "I.. err.. yes. Why?"

Ignoring her query, he continued to press her for information. "Have the Blood Elves rejected Kael'thas Sunstrider as their leader, and Kael himself been defeated near the ruins of the Sunwell on Que'danas?"

Despite the speed with which he asked her, and the odd accent he gave some of the names, she recognized what he was talking about and nodded. "He has fallen, yes, but-"

Kyle cut her off, "-Has Northrend been invaded by Alliance and Horde Forces, and the Blue Dragonflight turned against all mortal magic users?"

She paused, frowning. "I.. Northrend has been visited by Alliance forces, but I don't know if the Horde is venturing north as well. And the blue dragons' aims have always been hard to understand. I've not heard of any war, though." She paused for a moment, waiting to see if any more questions were forthcoming, before frowning. "Now that that interrogation is out of the way, I have to ask if you're either some sort of escaped patient from an asylum, or possibly a seer."

Kyle chuckled, before slipping out of bed to stand up. "Neither," he replied, as he moved to pull on his pants which he hadn't realized had been removed. As he buckled his belt, he turned to look at her over his shoulder and shot her a little smirk. "I'm a level seventy-four Night Elf Rogue. And I do it from behind."

"My word!" The healer exclaimed, shocked by the bizarre claim. "If that's the way you want to be, then fine! I'll be downstairs." She turned and quickly left the room before the last member of their group could make some outlandish claim. Really, a Queen of a metallic time period, and a night elf rogue? "Some people had no respect for healers."

Matt scrunched up his face in disgust and spared a pitying glance at the departing woman's back. "Too much information, Kyle. But you've got a point." He turned to speak directly to Serenity. "Kyle here looks to be waaay more knowledgeable about this place than I am. I only hit level forty-seven myself, as a Paladin, before giving up on the game."

"Game?" Serenity asked.

"Yeah. Where we're from, we've got a lot in the way of entertainment. This... looks to be a physical manifestation of one of them." Matt pointedly did not look at Serenity as he spoke his next few words. "And, about the reason we knew about you, your highness..." He sighed.

"I assume you're about to explain what that 'Sailor Moon' you mentioned before is?" Serenity asked, her voice subdued.

"...it's a television show, called 'Sailor Moon' after the title character; your daughter. Story written by Naoko Takeuchi. It's something we've both seen, and so you can imagine our surprise to wind up meeting you in the flesh." Matt gave his current environs a wary glance. "Of course, we never expected to end up here, either. I suppose this means the multiverse theory is true."

"Superstring?" Kyle asked idly, glancing out the window and wondering if a couple dollars and a quarter would be enough to buy a warmer jacket. That snow looked a little colder than his button-up summer shirt could handle.

"Trans-dimensional fictional realities," Matt corrected.

"I was being a smart-ass," Kyle responded, flatly, turning to fix Matt with a glare. Then he grinned. "At least we have a queen here. Surely you have some gold to help prepare us for the upcoming challenges?" He asked the Queen.

Serenity raised a dainty brow in his direction. "If you knew anything about nobility, you'd know we rarely, if ever, deal directly with finances. And in case you hadn't realized it, I'm rather lacking pockets."

Kyle repressed a laugh, and a very vulgar rebuttal, merely nodding at her and holding his hands up apologetically. "I stand corrected, your worshipfulness."

"And with that, I vote we take our leave of this place," Matt said as he grabbed his own pants to slip on. "I don't know about either of you, but I don't want to stay here a minute longer than we have to. Just thinking about all those undead on the Horde side gives me the heebie-jeebies. I have never, ever wanted to encounter zombies in real life."

Kyle frowned. "We're in an Alliance newbie area. The chances of a Horde _anything_ coming here is a million to one."

"And our chances to be transported into a TV show, then a video game? What were those?" Matt asked sarcastically.

Kyle opened his mouth to respond, then shut it with an audible snap.

Serenity, for her part, was beginning to grow worried. "And where will you go, here in a world you once only knew as entertainment?"

Both men stopped on their way to the door, realizing she had a point.

Serenity nodded at them, slipping out of her bed and standing proud in the room, apparently her silver dress replaced with a nightgown of some sort. It was hardly queen-material, but far more concealing than the boxers Matt and Kyle had been wearing in bed, and her dress was hanging in a nearby cabinet. "If you two would give me a moment," she stated, causing them to turn their backs to her.

"If you'd like to return to your world at all- and at the same time avoid condemning everyone in mine to a rather harrowing period of loss and possible civil war- I have a proposal for you two," she stated as the rustle of cloth in the background punctuated her quick change. Normally she had handmaidens to help her don her clothes, and she worried briefly about the lack of cosmetics or simple hygiene products, but with minimal effort, she was back in her gown, and turned to look at the two once more.

"You may turn around, now," she stated, to which they did. "As I was saying," she continued, "you two both seem to know this world and the obvious intricacies involved in dealing with its inhabitants. Would you be willing to assist me in retrieving the Silver Crystal from whoever has stolen it?"

Kyle looked at Matt and shrugged. "I've got nothing better to do."

"Seems like a good idea to me," Matt replied. He turned to Serenity and saluted, fist over heart. "You have my sword, milady!"

Serenity gave him a slow, calculated look. "What sword?"

Matt grinned sheepishly. "Uh, you know... in the metaphorical sense." He nodded towards the exit. "Let's go out and find one. And hopefully a shield to boot. Something tells me there's going to be a lot of fighting before all this is over."

"We could always ask a trainer to teach us. I wouldn't mind learning how to stealth," Kyle suggested.

"Becoming invulnerable for short periods of time appeals to me," Matt agreed.

"It's settled then," spoke Serenity with a certain cheer that had been lacking minutes before. "You shall learn the ways of this world, recover my crystal, and return home safely."

Kyle shook his head. "What's this '**you**' stuff, highness? We're in this _together._ I hope you have some understanding of your magic, because you're going to have to learn, just as we are."

Serenity looked a little taken aback by this, before giving a little sniff and shrugging it off. "I may not have the Silver Crystal, but my abilities aren't too hindered. If magic works the same way here as it does in my domain, I should be able to assist you two quite handily."

Kyle gave her an overt, obvious look over, from head-to-toe and back, before nodding once, sharply. "Yeah. Healer. Just don't let the DPS die, please."

"If the tank dies, it's the healer's fault; if the healer dies, it's the tank's fault; if the DPS dies, it's the DPS' fault," Matt intoned sagely.

"... You're going to be a ret-pally, I just know it. You're already annoying me," Kyle said, darkly, before turning to Serenity. "So, we have a deal? We're to be a team? A party? Each helping the other for a unified goal?"

Serenity nodded, smirking slightly at his choice of words, "You'd do well in court. You can politic with the best of them, it seems."

Kyle shrugged. "We each have our gifts. Are we agreed?" he asked, holding out his hand.

Serenity looked down at his hand, then over at Matt, who was doing the same.

Matt just smiled. "Shake on it. It's how we do things... where we come from."

Serenity nodded, and took his hand, surprised at first at the strength of the grip, before matching it. He pumped his hand once, and released her, and she turned to Kyle next, repeating the process.

"Well, that's much more civil than signing things in blood," Serenity stated dryly.

Kyle blinked in surprise. "You do that?"

Serenity smiled mischievously, "It's the only way to make sure things are truly binding where I come from."

"Well there's one thing I'm not sad to see go," Kyle mumbled. Turning to the door, he glanced at the others in his party, and shrugged. "Shall we?"

Matt nodded. "Lets!"

Serenity nodded. "Indeed we shall." And before the others could say more, she left the room, Matt and Kyle following, as they began their quest for the Silver Crystal.

Xxxx Omake xxxxX

"How was I supposed to know it wouldn't work?" Jax asked.

Shane rolled his eyes. "For the last time, you're a mage, not a priest. Trying to resurrect someone when all you can cast is fireball is a BAD IDEA."

"... I just hope we can find all the pieces..." Vaun added, sagely.

Authors Notes: (Magus): And that's a wrap. I even threw in the Omake. You wouldn't believe the number of times I've just randomly gone off on a tangent during my boredom then erase it all to get back to what I was doing. I suppose I should save those. Maybe make an extra NASIF Outtakes collection or something. Anyway. Here's Chapter 3. Chapter 4 will be worked on some more tonight. Probably posted this weekend sometime.

(Tannim) : …


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Aye dunnae care about your stolen gear, Aye just wannae know who's payin' fer teh use 'o my beds!" The dwarven innkeeper replied, after various attempts to explain the situation.

"... would you accept an IOU?" Kyle asked, reluctantly.

"Whazzat?" The Dwarf asked, puzzled.

Kyle winced internally... how to explain it in a good light...

"It means that, if you agree, you'll let us pay you at a later date, when we actually have the money."

"And if ye don't pay?"

"You'll probably tell everyone and no one will ever do business with us or want to associate with us ever again." Matt answered reluctantly, realizing how lame the answer sounded, and shrugged helplessly. "We'd love to pay you now, but as you can see, we arrived here with nothing of value to you." He pulled out a wallet with a couple of fives, and a lot of now-useless cards and coupons for various businesses, as well as an ATM card and a credit card.

Kyle checked his wallet as well, knowing there'd be little to hold a dwarves interest, and definitely unwilling to part with his Cell Phone and MP3-player, which were both worth a lot more than single night's stay at an inn. Especially one as rustic as this.

"Would you, perchance, accept collateral?" Serenity suddenly asked, earning curious glances from both Matt and Kyle.

The innkeeper spat on the floor. "Pah! I know what _that_ is. A Goblin word, or close enough! I'm a Business man, you hear? Not a banker! Give me gold, or something of value!"

Looking at the somewhat stunned visage of Serenity, and the silver clip in one hand she's pulled from her hair, Kyle nodded slowly. "I think what Serenity meant, sir, was that she'd trade you something of value, but she'd like you to hold on to it, in case we come across enough money to buy it back from you."

The dwarf harrumphed, but didn't look displeased. "Well, why dint ye say so inna first place?" He waddled on over to Serenity and gave the item a thoughtful once-over. "Looks ta me to be fine craftsmanship. I'd be willin' ta hold onto it fer ya if'n ye want."

Serenity parted with the piece with obvious reluctance. "It was my grandmother's. Please take good care of it."

Kyle placed a comforting hand on Serenity's shoulder. "We'll be back for it soon, don't worry."

Serenity gave Kyle a grateful smile. She backed away from the dwarf and nodded briefly towards her two companions. "Shall we be off, then? The sooner we garner some wages, the sooner I'll be able to return and pay this dwarf what we owe."

"Of course, your majesty," Matt said with a grin. "We'll act with all post-haste." His smile faltered. "Though I still haven't the faintest clue how we're going to make money without adventuring."

Kyle smirked. "I'm sure it'll come to us." Pulling open the door, he couldn't help letting a small yelp of surprise escape as the icy air of Dun Morogh blasted around him. "Crap.. I hope it comes soon," he mumbled, fumbling to button up his shirt before burying his hands in his pockets.

Xxxx

As the trio stepped outside, to their obvious discomfort, Kyle scanned the area, before locking his eyes on a rather prominent mountain to the north. "Ironforge is up there. The road should take us almost straight to it... and it's full of lava, so it's probably a lot warmer than this."

"'Ironforge. Never has there been a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.'"

Serenity stared at Matt, unsure of what to make of that comment. "... and you want to take me there?"

"No I was, I mean..." Matt looked uncertain. "Oh man... we're going to have to introduce you to Star Wars..."

Kyle, against his desire to keep warm, pulled one hand out of his pocket to whap Matt upside the head, before replacing the hand and hurrying down the road. "Just ignore him, Serenity."

"You seem to be getting rather forward," Serenity observed lightly as they made their way along the snow-covered path. Here and there, small fire pits burned in raised pits along side the road, no doubt to offer some warmth to passers-by who were unprepared for the weather. She also noticed a few dwarf guards patrolling the more obviously-traveled roads.

"I suppose," Kyle replied over his shoulder. "Still, I'm running out of Han Solo phrases, and you _did_ say we could call you that in private. I think an entirely different world would count."

"Privacy," she started, with a slight smirk gracing her regal face, "tends to imply a lack of witnesses."

Kyle paused staring thoughtfully at a nearby roaming guard, then up at the clear blue sky overhead. "Hmm... It would... but I think the originator of the word was never faced with the prospect of finding themselves within a world they only knew as fictitious. And the distinct possibility of leaving said world at a later time."

"Hey, don't you think this is more of a vacation than anything else?" Matt interjected. "It's not like you're going to be coming back here any time soon after we leave. No one has to even know you're a queen if you don't want."

"I... never thought of it like that before." Serenity blinked, and a small smile slowly crept across her face. "I suppose you're right."

The road north of Kharanos was not the short little jaunt Kyle recalled from the game. Instead, there seemed to be no end, and only after asking one of the roaming guards was he sure that he'd started them all on the correct path.

Xxxxx

Finally, after a few miles of walking, the path forked, and a fairly steep-yet-wide path lead up towards the mountainous city.

"Oh crap.. I loath this path," Matt stated as a lost memory floated to the surface. He stared at said path with a hate-filled glare. "It winds. And goes up. And has no guard rails."

Kyle shrugged. "I'm not nearly as cold after walking a few miles, but I'd like to get inside before the sun finishes setting," he said, glancing at the darkening sky and slowly-growing shadows nearby. The sun had slipped mostly behind a westerly-peak, but part of it was still visible around the edges.

The rising path was fairly simple to navigate, curving left once, then right, before approaching the city's main gates. At a landing before the first twist, a horse-drawn cart sans-horse sat axle-deep in the snow, a pleased-looking Dwarf nearby hawking his wares to the few pedestrians who approached. And considering his positioning, anyone coming or going was going to have to approach from one direction or the other.

"How're ya!" The dwarf cried as they got within speaking range. "Ya folks look a mite cold. Fancy a pint o' Thunderbrew? It'll warm ya right up for the last leg o' yer trip ta grand Ironforge!"

"Thanks, but no thanks," Kyle said, looking at the proffered wooden mug (currently empty) and wondering if it was the light playing tricks on him, or if the shadows inside were actually moving.

Nodding in reply, the Dwarf tossed the mug haphazardously back into the cart, before turning around to pull out a large piece of what-looked like cloth. "Ah see. Some humans don't appreciate ta fine Ale. Ah canna say ah unnastand it, but if that's not ta kind o' heat yer looking for, I have these fine linen cloaks. Cost hardly anything, but keep the cold out like you wouldn't believe!"

Kyle was about to wave him off, before he stopped. "While I'm not interested in buying anything..." as the dwarf started to open his mouth to protest, Kyle quickly amended, "_at the moment_, we are looking to possibly exchange some of our less-than-common currency for the local coin. If you could point us in the right direction, when we return this way to pay off a debt in Kharanos, we might just take you up on your offer for those cloaks."

Serenity, who'd been watching the exchange, nodded gently when the Dwarf glanced at her, before narrowing his eyes as the merchant looked at the guards with distaste and waved Kyle closer.

"Lad, ah dinna think ye want ta be mentioning your foreign coin around the more proper members o' society." Sparing the guards another quick glance, he lowered his voice to a whisper, "but if yer serious about that, ah think ah know ta right group yer gonna be wantin' ta talk to."

"Oh?" Kyle asked, curious.

"They're... traders. Collectors. Pay a pretty copper to merchants who know how things really work and send people their way." The dwarf offered, watching Kyle closely.

"I see.." the human mumbled, beginning to understand just what the dwarf was talking about.

"When you get inta the city, head to the Mystic Ward. To the left of the Fighting Mage is an unlisted storefront. Head inside and go down the stairs. Tell 'em 'George sent ya.'"

Kyle nodded, committing the pertinent details to memory before turning to leave.

"So your name is George?" Matt asked, curiously.

"Ask me nae questions, lad." the dwarf replied with a grin, and placing one finger to the side of his nose.

Xxxxx

The rest of the path up the mountainside was flanked on the peak-side by an almost sheer cliff-face about fifty feet high at the tallest, and the road slowly turned right, towards the huge iron gates of Ironforge itself.

"Hmmm..." Kyle mused as they rounded the last of the bend and the full gates were made visible. "It's not nearly as static as the game would have you think."

"Of course, if we were going to judge everything against the game, I'd be lagged like heck right now," Matt replied sarcastically.

"Surely you would have been able to guess that a city like this in a land like this Dun Morogh would see a lot of traffic throughout the day," Serenity supplied.

"Not really. Usually the only time you see people out here it's either lowbies making their first run in, or high-level players coming outside to duel," Kyle replied, with a smirk. He'd done his fair share of dueling, back before the expansion packs had been released.

"I see. Your information about this world isn't going to be too inaccurate, I hope," she asked, after a moments pause.

With a shrug, Kyle made his way forward, the other two following, as he answered. "It's not perfectly accurate. Remember, Games are meant to be entertaining, so facts are skewed to appeal to the widest player base possible."

Serenity didn't bother responding, instead focusing on the entryway to this city with wide-eyes. Unlike her Palace, which was the only real entry-point to her kingdom that she could compare this to, Ironforge was built to a much larger scale than anything she'd ever seen before. Glancing at one of the many guards stationed around the entry hall, she considered asking whether or not the over-sized hallways, paths, and rooms were an attempt to fight of the claustrophobia of knowing there was an entire mountain top hanging above your head.

Then she spotted dirty marks in the snowdrifts that had gathered in the door. Marks that looked suspiciously similar to the large mechanical machine stationed outside with a turret of some sort on top. While the Silver Millennium was a peaceful Empire, history had proven the effectiveness of war machines, and she had recognized the shape, if not the entire construct. Cannons were rare, but not unheard of, even on the moon.

Looking once more at the tracks, Serenity realized the wide halls were apparently designed for the potential traffic numerous machines like the one outside would cause. The niches to the side would probably hold a family that couldn't get clear in time, as well as protect the guards from errant gusts of frigid air during the cooler months.

Aside from the baffled entryway, where the dirty snowdrifts gave way to well-fitted stone floors, there was a giant statue of a Dwarf ahead, marking a T-junction she had already assumed was a block to prevent the air from cooling too rapidly.

Kyle ignored the oft-seen spectacle, idly commenting that the details were a bit better than he had assumed, before leading them on towards their destination.

Serenity was impressed. Despite the fact that they were inside a mountain, torches, fire pits, and what looked like a canal of molten rock provided the wide open area in Ironforge with enough light and heat to make navigating comfortable, without being stifling.

Inside the wall against which the giant statue sat at the head of the entry hall, there was a cavernous open area, the rock walls carved into store fronts complete with shuttered windows doorways, and porches. To the center, a larger doorway sat, and she caught the gleam of gold and steel from within.

"That's the bank," Matt offered, following her view.

Smirking, Kyle pointed to the busy building across from it. "That's the Alliance Auction House... Or one of them."

Between the Bank and the Auction house, but more towards the Auction House, was a bridge spanning a cleft that followed the circular design of the city in both directions. From within came the glow of something fiery, and as they drew near, Serenity's eyebrows rose in surprise. Despite a rough iron barrier below the walkway, the cleft opened up about twenty-feet below their feet into a river of molten rock. Anyone unlucky enough to fall in would have a few minutes to mourn their fate before the heat got to them.

Despite what had to be high temperatures within, there was enough of a breeze from outside that the city itself was comfortably warm. Only when one got close enough to peer into the fiery depths themselves did the heat become noticeable.

"An interesting design," she said, watching the pedestrians go about their business without showing much concern for the open valley running the circumference of the city.

Serenity felt her eyes drawn from the pit again as something she'd noticed came to the forefront of her mind. While she had expected to see many dwarves in a dwarven city, there were quite a few members of other races, as well. Considering how few races she'd seen other than the very-near human races of other solar systems, and the cat-like Mau, the blue-skinned figure approaching them was enough to give her pause, almost causing Matt to walk into her.

She thought she'd done well dealing with the Dwarf, but this being was utterly beyond her comprehension. A flared and almost stylized forehead covered in symmetrical ridges, sat above glowing blue eyes, which were set in an almost regal face that was framed by odd tentacle-like extensions from the jaw line, and hair swept back into a functional ponytail.

The torso itself was fairly humanoid, though far more muscular than all but the most burliest of men in the moon kingdom, and Serenity couldn't help but wonder if that was naturally-occurring, or if this person was as hard a worker as those back home.

While the torso was fairly normal, from the waist down, differences began appearing again, the knees too high, though understandable so, with the lower-leg being reverse-jointed and hooved, much like the rear limbs of the horses of Earth. and behind the hoven feet swayed a blue, lizard-like tail.

"A Draenei," Kyle offered quietly, as he fell in beside her to pass a stationary mob of humans. The Draenei nodded in passing, and Serenity nodded in return, thoughts about all the times she'd had to deal with pompous, ridiculously dressed humans in her throne room helping prepare her for days like today, when shock would prefer to display itself plainly on her face.

The trio themselves were not going unnoticed in their journey through the hall. Their odd clothing, gait, and fact that they carried no plainly-seen weapons all drew attention and idle gazes of curiosity. More than one human male, and even males of other species, gave Serenity herself an appraising look. Had she been anything less than a queen, she would have blushed. As it stood she settled for avoiding eye contact and walking slightly faster so as to be closer toward Kyle. Matt unconsciously stepped up his gait and soon the three were walking, practically shoulder to shoulder, across the way.

The circular construction of this level of Ironforge wasn't obvious unless you looked for it; the outside rim was so massive that the curve was not evident until one looked across its whole length. Buildings stretched out overhead with balconies galore, and massive columns rose to the ceiling high overhead, supporting the whole thing.

"Man. This looks way better in person," Matt remarked.

Kyle paused, looking around as he began to really take in the scenery. "Yeah... I kinda suppose it is." Turning to Matt with a shrug, "I'd still rather be viewing it from my computer screen, though."

"True. Somehow, though, this almost feels like it..."

Kyle blinked at that, then frowned before asking, "like someone is watching us?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah. Kinda."

Kyle waved it off. "Whatever. You're just being paranoid." As they continued, the cleft in the city ended abruptly, a steep ramp on the inner wall the only apparent access to the metal grill below. Ahead, the storefront-lined walls expanded, and they entered a large cavern, with a small crystal-clear pond in the center, surrounded by stone plinths.

Behind the pool stood a temple-like facade carved from the mountain, and ornately decorated with columns and bass reliefs. Around it, more storefronts and dwellings existed, and Kyle nodded towards one to the left of the temple.

"That's the Fighting Mage," he said, reading the English on the sign. Around it were other symbols, presumably for the non-humans of the Alliance.

"And we're to go into the building beside it?" Serenity asked, glancing at the people walking around and spotting another new-type of being, this one short, like a Dwarf, but lacking the bulk or facial hair, despite its apparent maleness.

Kyle, following her gaze, shuddered. "You want to explain this one, Matt?"

Matt rolled his eyes. "Don't make fun of the vertically challenged, Kyle. The gnomes would be liable to bite your kneecaps off."

"Do you know how far they'd fly if I got enough of a windup?" Kyle asked with a scowl.

"Hence the strategic attack on the knee, depriving you of your kicking ability."

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Just explain to Serenity... nevermind. You said it was a gnome. That's good enough. If it's not a dwarf, it's best to keep your distance. They can have rabies," he explained to the Queen, who looked somewhat shocked at this explanation, and worried by the warning.

As the party climbed the stairs, Kyle paused, before turning to the other two and sitting on the stairway so that he was eye-level with them. "I suppose I should explain the other races we're liable to meet..."

"You mean like night elves, orcs, trolls, and the," Matt shivered. "...undead?"

Kyle shrugged. "Yeah. Or the Forsaken, if you're talking about the Horde undead."

"A zombie is a zombie."

"I've heard you mention the Horde and the Alliance before; I assume these are two warring factions," Serenity asked.

Kyle nodded. "Those are the primary factions on this planet. There's also demons, who belong to the Burning Legion, and numerous undead under the banner of the Scourge."

"Man, I hope we don't run into any of the undead here," Matt stated with a pensive expression on his face. "But one must remain always vigilant. I never played past the free trial of Burning Crusade. Any chance of them showing up?"

"Forsaken? Or Horde? Either-or, it's unlikely. Unless things are wildly different from the game, Alliance cities are going to be extremely anti-Horde. And vice-versa."

"So are there other races in the alliance? Or just Humans, Dwarves, Draenei, and Gnomes?" Serenity queried, looking over the stone-railing of the staircase towards the caverns beyond.

"There's also the Night Elves. They're a fairly haughty, secluded race, though, and only a recent addition to the Alliance. Somewhat like the Draenei." Kyle answered.

"Dark skin, long pointy ears. You'll know one if you see one," Matt interjected.

with a smirk, Kyle nodded. "An apt description. That's about it for the alliance, and all we're likely to encounter if we play it smart," he stated, before standing up. "I suppose that's that then. Ready to continue?"

At the two's nods in reply, he headed up the remainder of the stairs, and into the shady store. Unlike the others they'd passed, this one, in addition to being sign-less, was darkened inside without candles to provide illumination, and only the light shining in through the open doorway let them see the descending staircase in the back. To say that it exuded a dark and depressive aura was putting it mildly, and it was totally out of place with the rest of the hall.

"What goes up, must come down," Kyle mumbled, heading over and down the stairs. As he cleared the midway-landing, he crouched to examine the room beneath the store, and quirked a brow in surprise. Unlike the darkened, unused store above, this room was gently lit with candles, and stocked with various items, some readily identifiable, some not.

In the center of the room, however, stood a man, watching the warily, but failing to look nearly as menacing as his expression seemed to be trying to convey.

"I am Lixspilsen. Why have you come here?" He asked, in a surprisingly effeminate voice.

As his eyes adjusted to the light, Kyle had to frown as he took his features in. muddy-brown eyes set into a sallow face lacking facial hair, under a mop of brown hair, all on a body that looked like it was barely winning the fight against obesity. A plain, dusty jacket that was over-sized and bulging with objects not very carefully hidden hung over two dirty and worn sandals.

"George sent us," Kyle said, finally.

The man nodded, his expression turning to one of glee, and he turned to look at a stack of barrels against the wall, before speaking again. "I see. So you would be looking to make... an exchange?"

"If the price is right... I have some rather rare and valuable funds from a far off land called America. The currency is called the Dollar, and it is often the staple by which other currencies are measured," Kyle offered, pulling out a dollar bill. before he could continue, however, the man reacted.

Lixspilsen's eyes widened. "We have heard of these... 'dollars.' An exchange would be possible, most definitely. And our rates are second-to-none."

Serenity frowned. "'We?' Are you not alone, then?"

The figure nodded vigorously, practically fondling the dollar Kyle had handed him. "We are a growing alliance of money exchangers, working to accrue various foreign funds for an as-yet unspoken purpose."

Kyle chuckled, "I see. Does this alliance have a name? Perhaps we could come to some sort of... arrangement." Despite saying this, Kyle was wary. Something wasn't right about this arrangement. Particularly the fact that someone from Azeroth knew of the dollar, which should have been utterly unrecognizable.

He'd led Matt and Serenity in here in hopes of finding a collector of rare coins he could fob off a couple Quarters and Dimes onto. Instead, he'd stumbled upon something far more bizarre.

"We like to refer to ourselves as..." he trailed off, glancing around surreptitiously, as if we were in a crowded marketplace where he could be overheard, before leaning in to whisper "...The Gold Farmers."

Kyle blinked, as all the pieces suddenly fell into place.

"You could join us if you like... We're always looking for new recruits, and our secret methods of extracting valuable gold from the world, much like farmers grow their crops, has made us quite rich here in Azeroth."

As his Spiel continued, Kyle turned around to look at Matt, who looked just as annoyed as he. Serenity looked somewhat lost, but having never had to deal with the economic plague gold farmers in WoW represented, she was unlikely to understand Kyle or Matt's sudden disgust and rage.

"... we're expanding into Kalimdor, now, and some promising entrepreneurs have already headed to Outland in hopes of finding more gold."

"What you say... sounds unlikely." Kyle said, hesitantly, trying his best to sound wary, and not angry. "Do you have proof of your claims?"

With a flourish, the man pulled his jacket open, exposing multiple string-drawn purses that appeared to be mostly full. "We're always loaded! I can buy anything in Ironforge with this. These are all enchanted purses, able to hold hundreds of pounds of gold, and they're giving them away to members!"

Kyle, Matt, and Serenity blinked in surprise, never having expected someone to announce so readily that that were practically covered in rare and expensive metals.

"You must be new," Matt deadpanned.

Lixspilsen nodded, pulling the jacket closed. "I was afraid to leave Goldshire when I was recruited. I got gold, an introduction to the group, and sent here to handle the exchange office in Ironforge!"

"You mean... you're the first person from The Gold Farmers to run an exchange in Ironforge?" Serenity asked.

He shook his head. "Of course not! I'm just the newest branch manager!"

"What happened to the old branch manager?" Serenity pressed.

Kyle was about to quip, but decided against it, instead looking at the stairwell in feigned surprise. "Who's that!"

When Serenity turned to look, Kyle spun, fist clenched, hitting the Gold Farmer with a rather well-placed haymaker to the chin. Lixspilsen's teeth slammed together, his head shot back from the impact, and he fell to the floor in a heap, the gold in his coat jingling merrily as his body settled to the floor.

As Kyle hovered over the now-unconscious body, there was a scraping noise from behind them all, which Kyle missed as Serenity had turned around just in time to see the man hit the floor and was berating Kyle. "How could you! Not only was that unnecessarily violent, he hadn't done anything to us!"

"Oh, your highnessness, he's done far more damage to us than I could ever tell you. Isn't that right Matt?"

Just as he was about to respond, a high-pitched and warbling war cry erupted from the barrels stacked near the staircase.. Out leapt a poorly-dressed man almost faster than the eye could see, wielding a dagger and a crazed look in his eye. He immediately attacked the first person he saw, which happened to be queen Serenity.

"Look out!" Matt cried and leapt shoulder-first into the queen, knocking her out of the way and into Kyle.

The rusty knife glanced off Matt's shoulder, but with his current momentum the wielder could not stop himself in time and tripped over Matt's still-extended foot. The man landed face-first on the stone floor with a resounding CRACK!

"YOU BODE MY DOTHE!"

Matt kicked the knife away from the man before kicking the guy in the ribcage for good measure. "You tried to kill me! Bastard!"

"You okay?" Kyle asked Serenity, who was currently looking somewhat shocked while lying on his back.

She nodded. "I think so."

Kyle frowned. "Then, could you get off me? Not that you're heavy, but if anyone else jumped out of the woodworks to attack us, we'd be a pretty easy target."

Serenity, for her part, was both shocked at the sudden violence, which she had been totally unprepared for, and was somewhat annoyed at the direct order. Still, it made more sense for Kyle to take action in her defense than for her to hinder him in such an... un-seemly position. Doing her best to get up without getting her dress too dirty, she dusted her gloves and the hem of her dress off as Kyle stood back up and crouched over the first body to hit the floor.

"FOOLS!" A new voice shouted from the stairs. The three turned in surprise, to see a cowled-figure standing on the landing, the hood on his head covering his face in shadows. "You've dared to assault members of an elite community! Your days are numbered!"

"MATHDER! HELB UTH!" the injured man blubbered.

"Pitiful idiots, you failed to protect that which you were entrusted with! All you'll get from me is a painful death!" And with that, the figure raised his hand, and a ball of orange fire coalesced in front of it, before shooting out and impacting the man who had tried to jump them, rapidly engulfing him in fire. Needless to say, he died screaming, which was somewhat disconcerting to Serenity, Kyle, and Matt, who looked on in horror.

Another fireball quickly ignited the unconscious vendor, who died without even knowing why, before the figure on the staircase turned his gaze on them once more.

Matt cartwheeled his way to the kicked knife, picking it up as his hand passed by it, and threw it at the man, embedding it in his eye. At least, that was his plan, before reality set in and he realized he couldn't actually do any of those things. He settled for figuring out how far he was away from the exit, and then how to get Serenity to there as quickly as possible.

"You three... will have the honor of being targets of our collections branch. Enjoy what little time you still have!" Before anyone could act, the figure ran up the stairs, and there was a flash of light from the store above.

"... That was violent." Serenity stated factually, as the silence dragged on.

Kyle nodded. "I was kind of hoping he'd just get a slap on the wrist and we could steal from him again later."

"'Again?'" Serenity asked, incredulously.

Kyle nodded, tossing her one of the coin purses he'd snatched off the unconscious (at the time) body, before tossing a second to Matt, who was still shocked but managed to reflexively catch it before it hit the floor.

"You robbed him?" Serenity yelled.

Kyle blinked. "Not like he earned it. They're a fairly problematic... err... group, back where I come from." Kyle winced. "Come on, lets get out of here, it stinks."

Serenity, who had been trying to keep her cool, lost it. "Stinks? Of course it stinks! Two people just burned to death, and we could have been next! I can't believe you two! If this is the kind of help I can expect from you two, I would have been better off on my own!" With that, she stormed out of the underground room.

Kyle, surprised at the outburst, looked down at the two charred bodies on the floor, and shuddered, before heading for the staircase himself. It had been exceedingly unnerving to watch them die, and he'd been just as worried as Serenity, though his levity hadn't made it as apparent. She'd probably seen more death than he had, actually, considering this was his first time.

Matt, for his part, paused to pick up the knife he'd kicked away earlier. It still had a bit of his blood on it. "I think this shit just got real," he said with a sober expression on his face. He followed Serenity out without another word.

"Indeed," Kyle mumbled, before leaving as well.


	6. Chapter 5

Across the courtyard and past the softly-glowing pool, Serenity strode with a fury not felt since she'd first heard that her own kingdom was being attacked by secessionist-seeking-terrorists from the belt. She didn't know what she was doing or where she was going, but she knew where she _didn't_ want to be. To see life treated so callously, not just by an enemy, but by people she thought were at least a decent sort...

In her haste to escape the immediate area, Serenity did not notice she was heading to a decidedly shady, even for Ironforge, area of the underground city. The shadow that broke off from the deeper shadows and started following her was also ignored. It wasn't until Serenity felt the uncomfortable pin-prick of a knife in her back did she realize something was wrong.

"Your money and your life," the gruff voice demanded.

"Isn't it customary to ask a person to choose between their money or their life?" Serenity asked, more to stall for time than anything. She was quietly gathering power for a counter-attack, and vaguely worried she'd mess it up. She hadn't had to call on her own magic without the assistance of the Silver Crystal since her childhood.

Out of no where, soft, serene music began playing and filled the air, causing both Serenity and her unseen assailant to immediately become drowsy and peace-filled as all thoughts of violence or anger left them.

"Calm yourself, sister," a voice sounded inside Serenity's mind. "All shall be made clear in time." The queen nodded uncomprehendingly at the voice as she tried to will herself to some form of defense against this... whatever it was. It worked, but only slightly.

"Who are you?" she managed to croak out.

"I, dear Serenity, am you," the voice mysteriously replied.

Then she knew no more.

Xxxxx

Matt's first priority upon exiting the establishment where he had just witnessed his first two murders was to locate the queen that was his only ticket home. Despite worrying about her mental health, his first concern was, really, to get back to where he came from. As far as he knew, they didn't have things like running water, plumbing, or refrigeration. He _liked_ his creature comforts, and did not want to be separated from them if he could help it.

It was not difficult to spot woman with silver hair cascading down her head and past her knees dressed entirely in white; the eye practically drew itself to her and she was receiving a large amount of odd looks at the storm she was brewing. Anger and rage prompted speed from her, and before Matt knew it she was half-way across the hall and proceeding at a good clip towards the next area.

Kyle, at this moment, exited from the building to join Matt on the balcony.

"Looks like she's leaving at a pretty good clip," Matt commented. "Think she'll stay mad at us?"

"Hmm... probably. Women, you know?" he replied with a shrug.

Matt glared at Kyle, then headed down the stairs at his best speed. "C'mon, we gotta go catch her. Unless you want to die at the wrong end of a fireball."

Kyle sighed, glancing back at the dark doorway and suppressing a shudder as he hurried to follow. He'd intended to rob the Gold Farmer (not like he didn't have plenty to spare) and go; and the death of the two, while maybe not totally unpredictable, had been a rather grisly surprise... And clearly, bravado wasn't going to go over well with Serenity. At least, not until she learned that Azeroth was a far cry from her Moon Kingdom.

Catching up to Matt, he pointed at the darkened cave at the far end of the cavern they were in, where Serenity had disappeared. "That's the Forlorn Cavern. Rogue and Warlock trainer in there... not the most..." he paused, searching for the right word, then settled for, "-pleasant area. In the game, it's safe enough, but here? I'd go in there looking like you're ready for a fight."

Matt began to speed up but was stopped by Kyle grabbing his arm. "We should, y'know, give her some time. To settle down," Kyle commented. Matt nodded reluctantly and stayed at his previous pace. When a dazzling flash of light briefly illuminated the cave from within, Kyle blinked in surprise, before starting to run. "On the other hand, she's had plenty of time, right?"

In a handful of seconds the two made their way to where they assumed the queen was only to be greeted with the puzzling sight of a dwarf, dagger in hand, staring off into nothingness with a vacant expression on his face. A quick glance of the interior of the place revealed that Serenity was no where to be found.

"Hey, you!" Matt spoke to the dwarf. "Have you seen a girl in white with silver hair come by here?"

"I want to go home and rethink my life," the dwarf mumbled to himself. He then proceeded to wander off in a daze.

"Well..." Kyle said, nonplussed. "That was different." Aside from the low-level abodes cut into the stone walls, the low, rough-edged ceiling, rough-cut floor, and large, black underground lake that stretched on into the darkness added a foreboding ambiance to the cavern, which definitely lived up to its title.

"Well, where do we go now?" Matt asked, as the dwarf wandered off.

"Well... I hate to suggest it, but it might be wisest if we split up. Ironforge is... safe enough, for the most part." Kyle paused to watch the Dwarf wander into the wall once, before making it out of the cavern. Hoping Matt hadn't seen that, he continued speaking. "I think you should stay here and hunt for Serenity. I'll head back to the Inn and get her jewelry... It wasn't my intention, but I did kind of piss her off."

Matt nodded. "You should also see about purchasing some decent equipment before you go. We could both use some."

Glancing down at his shirt and slacks, Kyle nodded, suppressing a grimace at the memory of how cold it was outside. "Good idea. We'll meet up later, I suppose. By the Auction House?"

"Sure."

Xxxxx

It didn't take long for Matt to realize just how massive Ironforge really was. The way the ceiling stretched up high was rather disorientating, making things appear much more open than they were, almost as if he was outside. At least he didn't feel like he was in a cave, despite the fact he was underground.

He hadn't really given them a good look before, but the various travelers that were passing through the great city of Ironforge were dressed in all sorts of different ways; most were in what would be called civilian clothing, usually denoting their profession. Others were in the uniform of the local or some far off guard, while still others wore a patchwork of whatever was available, as was the hallmark of an adventurer on the go.

First thing was first. He needed some clothes.

They weren't difficult to find. A helpful guard pointed him in the right direction to an outfitter. It was easy work purchasing shoes, shirt, and pants. The clerk even offered to take his old clothes off him for a few coins, which he accepted. He had been able to afford silk shirt and pants, and felt no need to change.

Feeling much refreshed from new clothes, Matt set out to find Serenity.

This is where things became a little more... difficult.

At first he tried simply asking each passer-by if they'd seen a human girl with silver hair wearing white. After the third offer to end his life if he did not walk the other way, he got the idea that most people were not friendly around here. It wasn't that they were mean, per say, but the vast majority had the look of seasoned warriors, and had no patience for weaklings asking strange questions.

"Looking for your friend?" Someone behind Matt asked suddenly, the deep baritone pulling him from his internal musings.

Matt gripped his dagger in surprise as he whirled around to face the speaker. He was greeted with the sight of a Night Elf standing before him, dressed in the stately robes of a priest.

"Stay your blade, human. I've no quarrel with you; indeed, I was sent here to reunite you with her. I am a priest of Elune, and I have been tasked by Lady Whisperwind herself to bring you and your friend to the Temple of Elune in Darnassus. Your lady friend awaits you there, as does the High Priestess."

Xxxxx

Unwilling to part with his clothes, but definitely in need of something warmer, Kyle had asked a tailor for a fitted cloak. It had taken a few minutes to find the shop, particularly as some of them were closing, but with enough gold, even the most weary of store owners was willing to deal with 'one last customer.' As an added bonus, the gold entitled him to a free light meal, and stepping out of the tailor's shop a half-hour later, he had a fairly warm cloak and a few gold pieces lighter.

"To Kharanos!" Kyle cried, as he passed through the gates of Ironforge and out into the frosty winds of Dun Morogh. The sun had gone down, and a few clouds dotted the evening sky, but the crisp, cool air did little to dim the stars, or the moon.

By the moonlight, Kyle quickly retraced their earlier steps, the majority of the path being downhill. Even now, after sundown, the Dwarves had guards patrolling the roads, and he nodded in greeting to those he passed, stopping on occasion to take advantage of the raised fire pits that dotted the path.

He'd barely made it halfway back when someone stepped out onto the path ahead of him. Stepping back warily, Kyle prepared himself for an attack, and cursed his current lack of a weapon. 'Something to remedy as soon as possible,' he thought to himself with a slight grimace.

"Hold, traveler, I mean you no harm. Are you the companion of Serenity?"

Frowning, Kyle nodded, the gesture all but hidden in the dark of night. Or so he'd assumed. When the figure ahead stepped closer, he realized it was a Night Elf, and she was probably far better at seeing him than he was at seeing her.

"You are quite difficult to find," she muttered, before holding her hand out as if to give him something. Holding his hand out, he was somewhat surprised when she gave him the bit of jewelry from the inn. "Compliments of the Sisterhood of Elune. High priestess Whisperwind has asked for you to be brought to her immediately. You and your friend."

Kyle just nodded, putting the silver bit into a pocket, "I suppose I'm in your debt, now... let me guess," he frowned, and turned back at the road he'd been traveling, "back to Ironforge?"

"Was it that obvious?" She asked with a smirk, before heading up the road. "Coming?" She called over her shoulder, when he didn't start after her immediately.

Shaking the weary resignation away, Kyle resolved himself to climbing that trail again, and started off after her.

Xxxxx

"Can I touch them?"

The priest reacted as if slapped, and turned to look at the human he'd been standing next with a horrified expression. "What?"

"Your ears. Can I touch them?" Matt didn't say it out loud, but they looked kind of rubbery or fake. While he still hadn't completely ruled out the possibility that everything he was going through was one massive coma-induced dream, the thought had just now occurred to him that maybe, just maybe, this was some sort of elaborate ruse. Perpetrated by whom, the man didn't know, or why; but he was just sleep-deprived enough to give the possibility some serious thought.

They also looked soft.

"I'll have you know they're very sensitive, and that is considered something of an intimate action by my people," the elf replied, somewhat haughtily.

"So that's a 'no' then," Matt said with obvious disappointment.

The night elf tried to keep his face passive, but relented at the kicked puppy-dog expression on Matt's face. "Fine. But only the tip, and only briefly."

Matt grinned and, obeying the elf's wishes, gently rubbed a finger over the edge of one ear. They were soft, but also surprisingly warm. "Thanks," he nodded.

"Don't mention it. Please."

"Hey look, Kyle's back," Matt stated as he spotted his friend accompanied by another night elf.

"Indeed. It is high time we return to Darnassus. I don't enjoy spending time outside of my homeland. Simply too... sterile. Not enough life." The elf glanced over. "No offense."

"None taken." Matt smiled widely at his friend as Kyle approached. "I see you got yourself a little night elf helper, same as me. I take it your search was more successful than mine?"

With a shrug, Kyle pulled the silver bangle out of his pocket and waved it at Matt before replacing it. His companion was prone to making a rare comment now and then, but he'd quickly realized she was probing him for information, and did his best to ignore it.

"This cavern is just too unnatural. The Dwarves may pride themselves on the architecture, but it's far too..." she trailed off as if looking for the word.

Looking at his companion, Matt smirked. "Sterile?" he offered.

She nodded. "Exactly."

Kyle buried his face in his hands. "Look, this is a mountain, not a giant tree. And look what happened to your last big tree, if you've forgotten. At least the Legion won't be coming here. Ironforge is more natural than your World Tree ever was."

Kyle's companion scowled at him. "The very Aspects of Life, Time, and Dreaming blessed Nordrassil!"

Kyle grinned darkly at that, but before he could respond with his retort, Matt's night elf spoke up. "Enough! We've no time for this, and these humans look tired. Remember, they're not nocturnal like us, Jani."

The priestess nodded, glaring once at Kyle's turned head, before turning around and walking towards the Mystic Ward. Kyle followed, doing his best not to drag his feet, and Matt and his companion brought up the rear.

"Welcome back!"

"Oh god, no," Kyle whimpered as they approached what could only be a gnome mage. The grinning, eager-looking humanoid appeared to recognize the two night elves.

"These are the two. Whenever you're ready," the night elf known as Jani said.

"Alright! One portal to Darnassus, coming up! Did I ever tell you two why I was there in the first place? I had just arrived on Kalimdor, when-"

"We remember, friend," Matt's companion said with a rather pained look on his face.

"how could we forget?" Jani muttered, too quiet for the Gnome to hear, but Kyle had to smirk at that, the utterance definitely confirming his thoughts about Gnomes in general.

With a sudden roar, a hole in the very fabric of reality was torn, and through it, a green-tinted marble temple appeared, the few beings on the far side of the portal starting in surprise at its appearance, before moving on as if it were a natural occurrence.

"There you go!" The Gnome cried, grinning at the party as if his trick had never been seen before. Of course, for two of them, it actually hadn't, and his smile grew as Matt and Kyle stared into the portal with mixed emotions.

Finally, Kyle shook his head, and shrugged. "There's something you don't see every day," he mumbled. "I just.. step through?" He asked.

"Indeed." The male night elf intoned sagely.

"Better a wormhole than teleportation, I suppose," Matt said as he reluctantly strode through the portal hanging in mid-air. The only thing he noticed was a slight tingling sensation passing throughout his body, and he was on the other side, staring in wonder at the purple and green landscape that dominated the current capital of the night elf cities.

Kyle and the two elves appeared momentarily behind him. Kyle looked as surprised as Matt did upon seeing the lush, growing city around him, and even the two elves looked slightly cheered at returning to their homeland.

"And so you've arrived." Someone spoke from behind them. Turning around, the small group spotted a new night elf female, this one in much more elegant robes, and the two priests dropped to their knees in supplication.

"Priestess Whisperwind!" Jani cried, head bowed.

"Rise, and go with Elune's Blessing, friends." Tyrande said, never taking her eyes off the two humans before her.

Kyle matched her gaze with one of his own, doing his best to recall what he knew of her, and trying not to let his thoughts show as he remember her more snide comments and bloodthirsty attitude in the third Warcraft game.

Meanwhile, Matt stood there with an entirely different set of thoughts going through his mind.

'Is she hitting on me? She's staring pretty intensely at us... maybe it's Kyle she's into? Or humans in general. Geez! I wish I'd played more of the games, maybe she was someone important enough to remember who she was. And now she's getting closer with that "I'm evaluating you and finding you lacking" expression... oh, she hates our guts. She looks like she just smelled something terrible.'

"You two must be tired," Tyrande finally said. Not expecting that at all, the two could do naught but nod. Smiling slightly, she turned around. "Elune has somewhat specifically asked you here, and I've done my part in getting you here and providing you two a means of communicating with her." She spoke over her shoulder as she walked, and as they crossed a marble bridge over tranquil waters, she paused, throwing the two another glance. "Though, I must admit, the Goddess' attention is rarely focused on specific mortals... and humans, at that? Perhaps you know why you've been summoned?"

"It could have to do with the fact we're from another world," Matt hazarded a guess.

Kyle buried his face in his hands as Tyrande stopped and spun on them, looking far more wary than before.

"You two _are_ human, correct?" she asked, her humor having evaporated.

Matt and Kyle looked at one another, before Kyle replied, "Yeah... last time we checked, anyway."

"We could be butterflies dreaming we're human, but all evidence points to that premise being false," Matt said, half jokingly, half seriously.

"You certainly jest like humans. Particularly in the face of adversity and overwhelming odds." Turning to look at a towering statue of a feminine figure shaped similarly to a night elf, Tyrande sighed. "Elune brought you here, so I must assume you are no threat. Try not to upset the workers at the temple during your stay."

As she spoke, the group had reached ad large structure crawling with healthy green vines. Inside, a diffuse blue-silver light shone, illuminating a pool of crystal blue water, and another statue that was apparently of Elune. The statue also served as a fountain, a large stream of water running from the figure's hands down into the pool, which somehow managed to ripple the waters only slightly, and enhancing the atmosphere of the temple's main chamber.

Upon entering the Temple itself, Kyle and Matt were rather beset by lethargy, the moonlight and atmosphere enhancing the magic of the temple and conveying a rather strong sense of safety and serenity.

"It would seem The Goddess is anxious to speak with you," Tyrande said, watching the two sway as if drugged. Motioning for some of the nearby guards to come over, she quickly had the two lead off to one of the smaller side chambers, where a pair of beds had been set up for them.

Despite their weak protests, Matt and Kyle quickly gave in to sleep after their heads hit the pillows.

Xxxxx

"Welcome, Matt and Kyle of Earth." The voice was decidedly feminine, but seemed to lack the distinction with which one identified the speaker.

Opening his eyes, Kyle found himself seated on bench in a lavish garden, and only after looking skyward did he realize he was on the moon again. Or _a_ moon.

"-of Earth?" He asked, tearing his gaze from the planet above and looking around for the source of the voice. Across from him, on a nearby bench, sat Matt, who was also looking around, and a moment later, a pair of figures emerged from around a towering bush covered in deep violet flowers.

"Serenity!' Matt exclaimed, recognizing one of the figures.

"Hello Matt, Kyle." The Queen of the Silver Millennium said, nodding to both as she spoke their names.

The other figure looked vaguely like a night elf, but walked with more poise than even Tyrande had, and Kyle's eyes narrowed as he made the connection. "Elune?"

"Indeed. The two of you have traveled rather far, from what Serenity here tells me. And from what I can divine of your Destinies, you yet have quite a bit more traveling to do," Elune stated. Glancing back and forth between the two of them, she frowned slightly, turning her gaze back up towards the planet above. "Azeroth is troubled, and I sense your futures will play a role in its future."

"Well, at least Serenity will be safe here," Kyle mumbled, wondering what sort of mess Elune would be tossing them back into. "And how'd we get here?" He asked, puzzled. He was pretty sure hadn't fallen out of the sky again. At least, it didn't feel like it.

"Your spirits are here, while your bodies lie sleeping in my temple at Darnassus. And Serenity, my sister, shares the same fate as you."

"You mean... you're going to send her back, too?" Matt asked.

Elune smiled. "I am a goddess, but there is a lack of freedom when one's entire existence is based upon a... a facet of reality. Fate is not my domain, so I must bow to it, much like everything else."

Kyle frowned at that. "That was a nice non-answer. I assume you brought us here for a reason, then?"

Serenity's jaw dropped. "Are you always this forward with those above you?"

With a shake of his head, Kyle responded, gesturing towards the goddess as he did so. "I'm one of those jerks who thinks respect should be earned, not freely given. And Elune, while helpful to those she favors, is a staunch pacifist, despite the rather insane amounts of death her followers, and the rest of the people of Azeroth have suffered since.... well... as far back as lore goes."

"I believe your understanding is a bit skewed," Elune interrupted. "Serenity tells me you know of us, this world... universe, even, through a series of games. Is this correct?"

"Games and books, yeah," Kyle replied with a nod.

Elune frowned slightly. "While I can't say I understand all the terms Serenity repeated to me, there is an easy way to check the accuracy of your supposed foreknowledge. With your permission, I'd like to view what you know."

Kyle's frown deepened, and he would have taken a step back if he'd been standing. As it was, he stood now, and fixed her with a level gaze. "You want to poke around inside my head for answers?"

"You make it sound so barbaric!" Serenity muttered, resister the urge to bury her face in her hands. She'd done her best to see the good in both Kyle and Matt, and express them to this universe's Moon Goddess, but Kyle was quickly undoing her hard work, and apparently trying to make a liar out of her as well.

"Be at peace, Serenity. You yourself called him 'spirited, oft confrontational,' and I've taken that description to heart," Elune said, glancing over at her guest with a soft smile, before turning back to Kyle.

"It's not nearly as mundane as searching for answers. If you envision a mind as a book, I'm asking for a copy of all the pages concerning this universe. You have my word no harm will befall you," the Goddess elaborated.

"Sounds good to me," Matt chimed in.

Kyle shot Matt a grin. "I think your knowledge might just be a _little_ dated."

"On the contrary, I intend to ask Matt the same favor. Understanding your views might help me assist you in your journeys," Elune said.

Kyle blinked in surprised. "Assist us?" Matt asked, before he could ask it himself.

"Indeed. I would be remiss not to offer what help I can to any mortal on Azeroth that asks for it. And I have, what you would call, a personal interest in helping someone so like myself," she said, gesturing towards Serenity with a slight smile.

"A sentiment I'd echo, were our positions reversed," Serenity replied with a nod.

"So you see, it is in my best interest to help you, but to do so, I feel I should know what you know; if for not other reason than to avoid contradicting the future." She grinned. "I may hold a station higher than Nozdormu, but the Aspect of Time can get quite cranky if you step on his talons."

Automatically smiling at the comment, Kyle mulled internally over the choices. He had no obligation to uphold the time line, or even to intercede on behalf of the world of Azeroth. Or Outland, for that matter. Elune was a peaceful Deity, so it was highly unlikely that there was any subterfuge or malicious intent on her part. And finally, there was his promise to help Serenity get home. Stifling a local Goddess' attempts at helping was definitely not in line with the promise.

"Fine. You can... read... whatever I know about Warcraft, if you think it'll help."

"Warcraft?" the Goddess asked, both puzzled and clearly disliking the word.

Kyle nodded, grinning slightly at her look of discomfort. "Your world.. your _universe_, is known in mine through a series of games called Warcraft. While I doubt Outland will play a part, best to include everything, right? Who knows what will help."

Elune looked somewhat uneasy with that, but nodded, before turning to look at Matt. "Do you consent to having your thoughts on... 'Warcraft," shared with me?"

Matt shrugged, getting rather bored with the scenery. He'd entertained himself while the others were talking by trying to count the number of flowers on the nearest bush, but the constant conversation had kept throwing off his count. "Meh."

"I'll... take that as a yes, then," Elune stated, somewhat puzzled by the nonchalant answer.

Closing her eyes, she called for her magic, shaped it according to the agreed upon words, and let loose...

Kyle was surprised when Elune's eyes opened in shock.

"No!" Elune cried, before burying her face in her hands.

"Woah! What?" Kyle asked, watching the Goddess collapse into a bench that seemed to materialize behind her. She shook as sobs wracked her body, and the garden grew quiet as everyone watched her in shock.

Finally, she stood up once more, wiping her eyes before turning to look at Kyle with a scowl. "I know it was unintentional, but know that a copywriter term like Warcraft does not preclude the words that make it up."

Kyle's eyes widened as he realized what she'd just seen. "War Craft... the art of War... Ouch... I'm sorry... Did you just get a glimpse at our world's history?"

Elune nodded. "I fear for your planet, the life on it, and its tenuous future."

Serenity, who'd stayed silent the whole time, couldn't help it. "What did you see?"

Elune gave a weak laugh. "I saw... everything. It seems that your friend's philosophy of life is based upon conflict and resolution. Fighting for Peace, Preparing for War. Maneuvering and manipulating. Benevolent Malevolence. It's..."

"Strange, isn't it?" Matt snorted, and shrugged helplessly. "We're not trying to justify our world's way of life. I suppose you're a bit lucky your evils are a bit more clear-cut here. What with the whole demon and undead thing going on. But then again, there are those who are redeemed of those races too, aren't there?"

Elune looked somewhat taken aback by that, but finally gave a nod. "So it would seem. There were quite a few blank spots, so it remains to be seen whether or not your world is truly as bad off as I suspect." She paused, looking thoughtful for a moment, before shrugging. "It's... odd, not knowing enough about a world to know what steps to take, if any, in guiding its people."

Kyle frowned quizzically at her. "Since you can't really reach it, how would you go about guiding it? Aside from an intellectual exercise in theological physics.. meta-physics? para physics?" he trailed off as he tried to come up with the best phrasing.

Serenity, still somewhat confused, finally turned to Elune and asked: "What about your world? Did you learn what you had hoped?"

Elune nodded, glancing up at the planet with a rather somber look. "Poor Malygos. For another aspect to have fallen so... and yet, there is nothing I can do." She shook her head sadly, before turning to look at Kyle. "I fear your thoughts on the draconian races of Azeroth are far too accurate. Soon enough, the mortal races may have to police themselves." She paused, staring off into the horizon in thought, before smiling softly.

"But enough lamenting. I've plenty of time for that once you have departed. Let me take a quick look at Matt's thoughts, and I'll discuss with you a tentative plan I've come up with."

Seeming somewhat pleased with that statement, she turned to Matt, closed her eyes, seemed to physically brace herself, then opened them in surprise.

"A far more negative view of the game, I see, and far less inclined to consider warfare a facet of Warcraft."

"While I have helped my fair share of newbies in my day, I considered the game mere drudgery after a point." Matt smiled sadly. "No disrespect intended."

"As I've watched the living races of Azeroth, I've come to learn as much of the lore you both have, and, of course, helped create it a time or two, if not lived it directly." Elune grinned, before waving a hand towards the planet. "While much of what you know is merely history, your understanding of the game, as a game, is somewhat insightful." She turned to Kyle.

"As for you... while I have no knowledge of a Night Elf Rogue named Jaessica, the back story you've come up with is both reasonable, and oddly complex, given your server's Player Versus the Environment status."

"Err.. what?" Kyle asked, intelligently, as the goddess suddenly started sprouting out game terms.

Elune's smile widened. "I know what you know. From Player-Versus-Player to Aggro Management." her smile had started to look forced. "On the other hand... I'm somewhat sorry to say that Humans have yet to appeal to me for patronage except in odd cases, and none of the one's I've helped were called..." she trailed off with a frown, "Tannim Fodder?"

"Uh, yeah." Matt blushed with real embarrassment. "My usual moniker 'Tannim' was taken, so I had to improvise... it's humorously close to 'cannon fodder'... or at least I thought so at the time."

Elune raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.

"In most games like that I tended to die. A lot. Usually by throwing myself at the enemy. It seemed appropriate for a tank."

Turning back to look at Kyle, Elune scowled. "And what of your priest? A Priest of Mine called... 'I'm Angry Rawr'!?"

Looking somewhat scandalized, Kyle smile, but couldn't meet her gaze. "Well, see, there was this girl..."

Elune cut him off. "I find myself no longer caring. You certainly had your share of characters... Though Jae stands out most definitely in your mind as your primary." She paused, before grinning. "Almost like a Champion... or avatar." Then she fixed him with another glare. "Though you are no god. 'I'm Angry Rawr,' indeed..." she muttered.

"And as for you," she said, turning to Matt again, "A Blood Elf Paladin... You'd be surprised to know just how poorly Kyle here thinks of that particular combination."

Matt scrunched up his face in thought. "Oh yeah... it'd been so long since I played when I got the free trail for Burning Crusade I made a paladin so I could relearn how to play them. The blood elf was the new thing at the time, so..." he stuck his tongue out at Kyle. "Like I care what you think about what I make. If I ever come back to the game I'm making a gnome just to spite you."

Elune nodded. "I see..." She glanced once more at the planet floating above them all, before nodding to herself and turning towards Serenity. "I think, for this, I'll need your help. I can give these two some of the skills of their characters; an understanding of Azeroth from a native's point of view, even functional disguises and equipment."

"Just tell me what I need to do," Serenity replied, stepping forward.

"Take my hand, Sister, and I'll do the rest," Elune responded, holding out her hand.

"What do we do?" Kyle asked.

"Wake up in a few minutes. Tell me though, do you, Kyle, prefer, as I think, the Rogue's way of life here on Azeroth?"

Kyle blinked at that. "Umm.. I do, yes."

Elune nodded, her slight grin turning almost shark-like for a moment before she turned to Matt. "And a Paladin for you, I assume, since that's all you know? Would you mind terribly if your power came from me, and not the Light? While I can arrange for the latter, the former would be much easier, and just as effective."

"If you can make me invincible for short periods of time and grant me the ability heal myself and others, I wouldn't care if you were three feet tall, jumped around on a five foot stick and looked like a wrinkled monkey." Matt grinned. "Sign me up."

Elune nodded again, before turning to Serenity. "Well then, you heard the adventurers. We have their permission, and I'm fairly certain you understand the magic I intend to invoke."

Serenity looked stricken for a moment, before glancing at Matt and Kyle and stifling a small giggle. "I think it will work out splendidly," she replied. Turning to them, she nodded. "I'll be there when you wake up. Please try to remain calm, as this might be somewhat... disconcerting at first."

"I don't like the sound of that," Kyle stated, trying to frown. But the light of Azeroth had suddenly increased, and continued to do so, until the moonscape had been washed out in a sea of silvery moon light.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll get over it," Elune's voice called, sounding like it was miles away, and growing further with alarming speed. "After all, you're going to be dealing with much, much worse..."

* * *

Author's Notes: Well, after trying this on the FFML, I got a complaint that what I was talking about was too... term-specific. And while I try to avoid that as much as possible, It's impossible to completely avoid. As such, I've decided to include a little glossary-deal here to hopefully resolve most questions.

HOWEVER, I'd just like to point out that, as far as Warcraft goes, there's more than just the MMO. There are three single-player games, which build the story up before the MMO, and numerous novels and comics that detail the world of Azeroth. Don't let an Aversion to MMOs or a bad experience drive you away from one of the most immersive stories available. Some of the Series I now write fics about were introduced to me by Fanfic Authors crossing over with something I'd either written off or never heard of. Evangelion being the biggest I can think of, off the bat. I _hated_ the series until enough fics explained to me that all my assumptions were way off base.

If you're curious, most of the lore is broken down on the WoWwiki, (wowwiki-dot-com) a great site for harcore WoW players, and people who just want to know who the heck this Illidan Stormrage person is. It has game stats, of course, but it also explains the lore far better than I ever could in a fic.

Anyway... the glossary/summary thingy:

Since World of Warcraft has so many players, instead of one giant computer running the game with 11 Million+ people logging in throughout the day, the game is copied over onto multiple servers. Each Server runs its own copy of the game, and only under special circumstances can a character on one server interact with characters on another. Aside from regional differences (You can't play on Asian servers if you have an American copy of WoW), the servers are broken down into PvE, PvP, RP, and RP-PvP.

**Player-versus-Player** (PvP) Means that, aside from in areas where your faction (Horde or Alliance) holds almost total control, your character will be 'flagged" for PvP combat, and any wandering player of the opposite faction, at any time, can attack and kill you.

**Player-versus-Environment** (PvE) means that all areas (except the opposing factions home cities) are free to explore in, and players who wish to engage in PvP combat must manually toggle the PvP 'flag.'

**Role-Playing** (RP) servers (And Role-Playing Player-versus-Player) are the same as regular (PvE, PvP) Servers, except that emphasis is placed on playing the role of the character you create. Instead of running around, talking about how horrible work was, while killing monsters repeatedly for a specific reason, players are often seen walking everywhere, talking in their race's original language until they feel they've 'learned' another language through exposure (or teaching, I guess...) and completing quests and killing monsters in a way that's in-character, much like authors who write fan fiction try to keep the characters they borrowed from staying too far out of character.

**Elune** is the Goddess most Night Elves worship. A Pacifistic God by nature, she _does_ assist in her follower's battles (Moonfire, specifically, as a spell in WoW, and in lore, she tends to put enemies to sleep) but most of the time, deplores violence. She's the Moon Goddess, much like Serenity is in Sailor Moon.

Elune looks like a Night Elf, because, inversely, she's said to have influenced them or something like that, and basically, created them in her own image. I'm still of the impression that they're just highly-evolved Trolls, but nothing's been established in cannon to fully suggest (or deny) that.

**In my mind**, When someone asks about Warcraft, I tend to first think of the games/books, but tend to wander quickly away from it. A fraction of the human population plays WoW, so they could just be asking about waging war in general. Either way, unless specifically directed, my mind quickly wanders to various random bits of warfare, and while I'm no scholar on the subject, I do like to learn about it. So Elune's request for information on Warcraft turned up... a rather brief but grisly tale of our planet's history concerning War.

As I explained to Matt, as bad as Azeroth has it, the most violent thing to have happened was The Sundering (A cataclysmic magical event that sank a large portion of a super-continent like Pangaea into the ocean) , followed, probably, by the explosion of Blackrock mountain (Another magical event that blew up a mountain with so much force that nearby mountains were flattened, and an entire region was charred and rendered nearly lifeless). Both may outshine a Nuke, but with the Cold War's possibility of hundreds of nuclear weapons flying around, and things like Mutually Assured Destruction, Nuclear Winter, and other terms associated with War, Elune probably saw that, as bad as things were, they could have been far worse.

**As for Matt**... Well, he's more stable in that than me. Warcraft to him means the Games, and nothing but the games, so she only got what she wanted from him.

**And at one point**, I created a Night Elf Priest with the most hideous, angry face I could, and named him "Imangryrar." There was a girl I was trying to get interested in the game, and she made a druid. Since I couldn't help much with a level 70 rogue, I made the priest, and when she stopped playing, I went back to my rogue and deleted the priest. But I figure Elune wouldn't have seen the humor in it that I did. That, and the conversation was somewhat too serious.


	7. Chapter 6

First there was pain. Not physical pain, exactly, but the kind of pain that exists behind the eyes and between the ears and sends one scrambling for the Tylenol. After waking up, that is. When the first thing you realize is that you have a monster headache first thing in the morning, getting out of bed tends to be the last thing you want to do. So Kyle didn't even bother opening his eyes as he pressed the palm of his right hand to his forehead and groaned.

"Priestess Whisperwind, she's waking up!" Someone overhead called.

Kyle couldn't help but frown at that. He'd been placed in a bed, was he in a hospital now? Or some sort of clinic? Pain was shunted aside as worry forced its way to the fore of his thoughts. Had there been a Horde raid?

Feeling something brushing his brow, he tried to wipe whatever it was away, only to freeze as it slid almost naturally back into place. Grabbing a handful of it, he pulled, then gasped in shock as he felt fire along his hairline.

"What the...?"

That... was not his voice. Surprise, disbelieve, and worse, a vague understanding warring with fear forced his eyes open, and, ignoring the pain, he sat up, feeling an unfamiliar shifting on his chest, and the soft brush of hair along his brow and the back of his neck.

"She didn't..." Kyle muttered, glancing down.

"Oh, she did," someone replied, stepping into the room.

Looking down in shock at his blue-ish, slender hands, before reaching up and poking his... no, _her_ chest tentatively, Kyle shifted his shocked gaze to Serenity, the look dissolving into the most intense glare he could muster upon waking up, and waited for an explanation.

"Please, allow Matt to awaken before I explain things," Serenity asked, motioning to a bed across the way.

Kyle sighed, reaching back to hold her hair off her neck. "Ugh, I need a scrunchie." She froze, went crossed-eyed for a second, then turned to Serenity, eyes wide. "WHAT DID I JUST SAY?"

"You said you needed a scrunchie," Matt mumbled helpfully, as he was awakened by the shouting.

"BUT WHY!?"

"For your luxuriously long hair. Duh." Matt stated this as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He blinked himself awake as he realized something. "Wait, what am I doing? What am I saying?" He winced at the pounding pain that pervaded his entire body, but that mostly originated from his cranium. "This is too early in the morning and my head hurts," he complained.

"They're awake, I see," Tyrande Whisperwind stated as she entered the room. Glancing over both forms, she frowned slightly as she looked at Kyle, before openly scowling at Matt. "I don't know why the goddess did such a thing, but a High-Elf, here, in the Temple of Elune..." she shuddered. "And then this... a human, turned into a Night Elf... if only this were some joke of the Goddess..." She shook her head, before turning to Serenity. "And yet, you remain as you were. I suppose one of you has an explanation?" She paused, as if waiting for a response, before frowning again. "And which one of you had the black hair, and which one had the brown?"

"He did," both people spoke at once as they pointed at the other.

It was with this sudden movement that drew Matt's attention to his arm, and he finally got a good look at himself; or at least, as good a look as he could without a mirror. Creamy white, alabaster skin, much lighter than he was used to seeing, covered both his arms and he assumed the rest of his body. In shock he reached up to discover he himself had a fairly sizable mane of hair. He tugged a strand down to get a better look, and what was previously mud-brown now shone with an almost inner light, the blondest blond he had ever seen outside of someone from Sweden.

"..."

"I'm Jae- what the HELL?" The (new) female night elf cried, before covering her mouth with a hand in shock. Blinking a couple times, Kyle tried again. "I'm... Kyle. The one with black hair. And holy crap, I almost said blue. By the goddess, what happened... to... SERENITY!" Spinning to pin the leader of the Silver Millennium with a far more frigid glare than earlier, Kyle demanded: "what, _exactly_, did Elune do?"

"I've slept with how many women?!" Matt whispered in fascinated horror to himself. "But that was Tannim! Not... wow. Some of them were really limber..."

Serenity, despite flinching at the vehemence in Kyle's voice when she yelled at him, nodded thoughtfully. "You were given the bodies, skills, and, as you've probably begun to realize, _memories_ of two warriors, much like you had played. Since battles can be a matter of life and death in a single moment, we elected to leave the abilities and memories of the abilities as close to the surface as possible without overwriting... well... who you are. So habits, expletives, common behavior... most of what they would do in their day to day life might have a bit of an effect on you."

"By the light of Elune, I'll say they will!" Matt nodded in agreement.

"But..." Kyle paused, searching for the words, while absently reaching over to the bedside table and grabbing the earlier-mentioned scrunchie and quickly (and expertly) tying her hair up in a high ponytail, "... I don't think I like this." Then her eyes widened again at what she'd done, and she scowled, crossing her arms before squirming slightly and lowering the arms so they didn't crush two objects that hadn't been there the night before.

Glancing over at Matt, Kyle smirked. "At least it's not just me."

It took a second for Matt to realize Kyle was referring to him, but when he did his face broke out in a nasty grin. "Are you kidding? I've just been turned into a sexy bishonen. You've been turned into a girl. I fail to see the downside on my end."

"..." With nothing particularly scathing to say in response to that, Kyle's eyes narrowed. "Damn you."

In the tradition of his belief in returning curses with blessing, Matt made the Vulcan sign for peace, realizing he had the ears for it. "Live long and prosper."

Kyle returned it with a much less peaceful hand sign. "Go F*#k yourself."

"Anyway," Serenity said, trying to draw their attention back to the current going-ons, "if you have any complaints, I'm sure you'll get a chance to take it up with Elune soon enough. Now that we're all... capable, again, I think we should prepare to disembark."

Kyle groaned and crawled out of the bed, frowning at the way her clothes were stretching in the hips, and loose in shoulders and waist. And there was a wad of cloth between her legs. "I have no clue how Ranma did it, because boxers bunch up something fierce," She mumbled, reaching inside her waistline and pulling the cloth straight.

"Where is my father's sword?" Matt asked with a puzzled expression, then smacked his forehead. "I mean, Tannim's dad's sword. I need it to kill the undead." That was something both memories agreed upon; the undead were an abomination that were to be wiped out at all costs. Not only did he have his previous life's aversion to them, but Tannim's father had been a paladin in the plaguelands when he died fighting the scourge. Apparently the person Elune based him on had been a playboy up until then, but then decided to dedicate the rest of his life to seeing the undead menace destroyed utterly. It was something Matt admired and agreed to.

With a bit more grumbling from Kyle, and the occasional enthusiastic discovery by Matt, the intrepid band of newly-minted adventurers set off on their quest for the Silver Crystal.

Having been rushed through it before, Matt and Kyle had missed some of the more interesting sights in Darnassus, but once leaving the temple, all three got to experience it in all its splendor under the diffuse light of the afternoon sun through the towering limbs and broad leaves of Teldrassil.

"This is great! Look at this sword!" Matt cried with glee. He gave the blade a few practice swipes, marveling at the strength of his arms and ease in which he controlled the direction of the swings.

"This sucks." Kyle replied, looking down at his- now her- chest.

"Be careful what you say. My sister's gift is a blessing in more ways than one," Serenity intoned, though the way she snuck smirk-laden glances at Kyle somewhat undermined her words.

"Just think, with Serenity healing, you doing damage, and me tanking, we'll be able to overcome just about anything!"

"Matt... I've got boobs. And big ears. Very long, sensitive ears. Ears that are hearing people over thataway talking about how cute I am, and Serenity too. If you don't want to find a dagger in your armor, I'd suggest you shut up."

Matt snickered, but refrained from commenting.

"Your ears are twitching," Kyle muttered.

"So... where are we going?" Serenity asked, as Kyle lead them towards a series of buildings off to the side of the city.

"Well, Matt seems to have gotten a sword, but all I found in that small backpack the Priestesses gave me were some... err... rough-looking underwear," Kyle's cheeks colored as he said this, and he quickly pressed on, "and some sort of traveling cloak. As annoying as it is to have my boxers bunching up, I'd prefer machined cotton to hand-woven linen." Kyle replied.

"And when those get dirty?" Serenity asked.

Kyle winced. "I'm trying not to think about it. I'm also trying to avoid bouncing with each step... and the implied needs said bouncing keeps leading my wandering thoughts to."

Serenity, smelling blood in the water, grinned ferally before asking nonchalantly, "and what does Jae think?"

"Why am I not wearing a bra? And what the hell happened to my panties!?" Kyle said, slightly louder than intended, before clamping a hand over her runaway mouth.

"You may not agree, but your body knows better. And I do too. We're going to have to buy you some support. And possibly a set of spares," Serenity decreed.

With a sigh, Kyle just pointed. "Apparently, that's a clothing shop with some... acceptable?" she frowned, before continuing, "choices. Also does moderate tailoring services; for a light fee... Wow, when it's not annoying, it's actually somewhat helpful."

"And you thought we did it to spite you," Serenity mumbled, heading for the shop.

Matt, with earnest prompting from Tannim's memories, realized the danger he was in and, in his best impression of a rogue, tried to stealthily make his way in the opposite direction. "I wonder where I can get a drink around here? Or some armor?" His eyes lit up. "A full suit of plate would be nice. And a shield! I'd like to see those undead squished beneath my armored booties!" He chuckled darkly at the thought as he made is way down the street.

"Matt! Get back here! Don't abandon me to this!" Kyle shouted, turning to catch the fleeing Paladin. Unfortunately, a surprisingly strong hand landed on her shoulder, preventing her from getting away. "Let him go. Where we're going is not for him," Serenity intoned solemnly. Then her eyes sparkled, and she clapper her hands together with a look of pure glee on her face. "Oh, I haven't had a chance to go shopping since the last Venus was chosen! We're going to have so much fun!"

Needless to say, despite her protests, complaints, and generally unpleasant attitude, Serenity and Kyle left the store changed women, Serenity having traded in her silver dress for a much less extravagant robe, while Kyle wore a set dyed-leather armor, under which rested a surprisingly comfortable set of undergarments. Not that he'd ever admit it.

"You didn't do too badly in there," Serenity stated, as they looked around for Matt. "A couple times, I think I might have actually caught you having fun."

Kyle nodded. "Yeah, there are a couple times where the shock, horror, humiliation, and embarrassment got to be too much for me and Jae kinda took over."

Serenity's grin fell. "I see. I suppose it was too much to assume a man would be able to simply enjoy the experience."

Kyle shrugged. "Don't get me wrong. I don't really watch sports on Sunday, either. I'm just not keen on social outings. You should see me powerwalk through the mall. If anyone steps in front of me, they tend to fly a couple feet before sliding across the tile."

Serenity gaped at her. "How could you turn something so... free... into something to rush through as quickly as possible!?"

As they walked through the town, Kyle considered her answer, before replying. "It's a matter of personality. I'm an introvert by nature. I prefer being alone. Crowds... bother me. They're oppressive and encompassing, it's disconcerting and sort of... anxiety-inducing. And there's the anger."

"Anger?" Serenity asked, as they approached a somewhat-crowded building, the sound of silverware on glass plates and heavy glasses on wooden counters emanating from within.

"I dunno about the moon, but on Earth, there are a lot of people who go with the crowd. They... they're sheep. Sure, they're individuals, with dreams and fears, and all that comes with being your own person... but they don't try to break the mold... instead of challenging stereotypes, and doing what they want, you can see them doing what's expected, and that look in their eyes.. it's like.. they hate it, and they know they hate it, but they do it anyway, because it's all they know." Kyle stopped talking, realizing they Serenity had paused on the path behind her.

"That's... horrible." Serenity finally said.

Kyle shrugged. "It's not as bad as I think I've made it out to be. There's colors and sounds and laughter and all that. They're not all miserable or anything. It's just... a product of the past, heading towards an unknown future."

Serenity nodded, smiling slightly. "You might just be able to get along with Pluto with an outlook like that."

"Setsuna was always a favorite of mine, along with Hotaru and Makoto," Kyle replied, earning a puzzled look from Serenity. "Oh.. I assume their names are different in the Silver Millennium? I meant Pluto, Saturn, and Jupiter."

"I see... so Saturn is called once again, and Jupiter falls... I'm almost afraid to ask... but can you maybe tell me more about what's in store?"

Kyle mulled it over, idly reaching up to play with her bangs, before nodding. "I suppose after what I did for Elune, I should probably not be so... secretive. But wait until Matt's here. He knows about as much as I do."

Serenity took a deep breath, before nodding. "I understand. And I believe that's him dancing on the table inside."

Pulling her index finger out of the twirl of hair wrapped around it, Kyle buried her face in her palm with a barely-suppressed groan.

"This one's called the Macarena!"

"Don't you dare spread that _here_ of all places, Matt!" Kyle snapped at the dancing elf.

"Jae! I mean Kyle! You're back!" Matt leapt down from the table, much to the obvious dismay of the patrons. "How'd your little shopping... thing ...go?"

Kyle's vague amusement died at that. "Don't ask," she spat, before smiling. "It was actually sort of a blur. But! Did you know Serenity kind of forgot I was a guy and tried to change with me? She wears this little... err..." Turning to glance at the suddenly-glaring Queen of the Moon, Kyle's mouth snapped shut with a little click. "On second thought, that's private... err... info. Only to be shared between... um... us girls? I'm going to buy a drink. I think I've earned it."

"Karla! A flagon of your finest ale!" Matt shouted towards a barmaid who looked entirely too happy to fill his order. He turned to his two companions. "They're really friendly around here." He paused. "Then again, I have been dropping gold pieces for tips. That probably helps."

"Indeed," Kyle muttered, as she took the mug and stared at the head of foam on top of the beverage. With a shrug, she blew some of the foam off, before taking a sip, and hoping it was better than she expected.

Surprisingly, it wasn't too bad! "Hey!" Kyle said with genuine surprise, "this is pretty good!"

Actually, it wasn't that it was good, so much as that it didn't have the rubbery bite of beer he was used to. Or maybe her new taste buds weren't the hyper-sensitive little pain-in-the-butts his usual ones were.

Matt nodded as he sat down next to her, and motioned Serenity to take a seat. "I've been asking around, and a couple of adventurers here said they've heard tales about the... 'Blue Dragonflight,' they called it, in Northrend."

Kyle nodded. "Good. It's nice to have some confirmation, there."

Serenity looked around at the patrons of the tavern with a slight smile, before returning her gaze to her traveling companions. "So we're to go to Northrend?"

With another nod, Kyle waved at the entrance, and the city beyond. "Darnassus is nice and all, but unless we want to become permanent residents, we're going to have to head there, yes."

Serenity paused. "So... why are we here? Lets get moving."

"Hold up there, princess." At Serenity's look, Matt hastily amended, "I mean queencess.. whoa... nice mental picture there... There are procedures for this sort of thing. We have to get better equipment than this vendor gear," he pointed at his current set of plate mail armor, "and that usually involves questing or somesuch. Along the way we'll probably pick up an ally or two, discover new things about ourselves, and likely end up saving a few lives as well. Then we'll be interrupted on our quest, of course, by some catastrophe that'll have to be solved by all of us working together, and we'll grow closer together as a unit."

Serenity looked uncertain. "Does any of what you are saying have any basis in reality?"

"No. Not really. Just guessing." He took a drink out of the flagon of ale that had been placed beside him unasked. "But hey, it'd be pretty boring if something like that didn't happen, and everything went smoothly, right?"

"I for one wouldn't mind avoiding sidequests," Kyle muttered. "I want out of this body as soon as possible."

After a moment Serenity had an epiphany and realized that this was their way of dealing with problems; Matt tended to go off on wild tangents, and Kyle focused straight ahead to fix whatever problem was currently plaguing him. They almost complimented one another... if they weren't being so annoying, that is.

Serenity grasped the flagon set before her and, with a determined look, drank the whole thing in one go. Kyle and Matt stared in amazement as she slammed the empty stein down on the table. "Is it not also customary to become drunk before such an excursion?"

"'Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die?' Yeah, I'd say so," Matt smirked.

"Not if they die first," Kyle replied with a viscous grin, pulling a dagger out of her belt.

Serenity sighed, but didn't bother to call Kyle on it. Elune had explained, somewhat unwillingly, that death on Azeroth was something all mortals seemed to take part in, and while she'd never approve of it, far better for those who've preyed upon others to meet their end than the innocents of the world.

"Karla! Another round! And bring somma that boar meat; we're having a party!"

As the room seemed a bit fuzzier than before, Kyle sighed. "I'd prefer something avian. Pigs tend to taste... not good."

"You would dare impinge the honor of bacon? I take affront at that!" Matt said jokingly. "But, have it your way. KARLA! Scratch the boar, bring some bird!"

"We need to get to Stormwind Harbor," Kyle said, as a new set of drinks were set before them. "The boat to Northrend leaves from the dock furthest to the right, and the sooner we learn its schedule, the better."

"So, when do we depart?" Serenity asked around her flagon. As anxious as she was to get the Silver Crystal back, she was enjoying the atmosphere in here, and even Kyle, who'd seemed tense earlier, appeared to be relaxing. It was good that, despite the obvious differences, night elves seemed to have the same facial expressions and body language as humans.

"After we eat?" Kyle asked, looking at the roast bird placed on the table before them with a mixture of hunger, and annoyance. "What I'd give for some chicken fingers," she mumbled, before tearing off a leg.

"You have birds with fingers?" Serenity asked, surprised. That sounded somewhat... ridiculous.

Kyle's groan was the only response she gave, and the rogue turned to Matt after his laughing died down. "Care to explain this one?"

"Strips of chicken, wrapped in breaded batter and fried in grease. Delicious."

Serenity blinked in surprise, before nodding. "That does sound good."

Matt continued, "If there's one thing I'm proud of my place of birth, it's that they have lots of good food."

"California?" Kyle asked with a frown. She was pretty sure fried chicken wasn't something California stumbled upon. "What did they invent?"

"It's not what they invented, it's what they perfected: mass marketing. If it wasn't for Hollywood, or television, I wouldn't know of half of the confectionery delights that await us if only we'd shop at Mac Donald's place, or at Carl's Junior diner."

"..." Kyle stared at Matt, then looked at her empty glass, before returning her gaze to him once more. Her open mouth snapped shut again, and she shook her head dismissively, before grabbing it in alarm. "Oh, wow... taller body, lower tolerance."

"This _is_ quite strong," Serenity offered, motioning towards her glass.

"Yeah, but this body doesn't have the slight tolerance mine had, I bet," Kyle said, before thinking on it. "Yeah," she finally said, "Jae's never been much of a drinker. The few times she... oh, damn."

"What?" Serenity asked, wondering why Kyle looked so worried suddenly.

"How many glasses have I had?"

"Three, and that's your fourth... why?" Matt supplied.

Kyle winced. "Don't hold it against me if I end up doing something stupid. Apparently Jae goes from tipsy to wasted pretty fast."

Serenity gave an exasperated sighed. "Lightweights."

Matt nearly fell out of his chair with laughter.

"Oh, looks like they're setting up a band!" Serenity said, drawing their attention to a small stage where a dwarf, two humans, and a gnome were indeed setting up a bizarre series of instruments.

"Dude, if they start playing that tavern theme from WoW, I'm going to break something," Kyle groused.

"Wouldn't they need a full orchestra to pull that off?" Matt wondered.

Kyle snorted in derision. "A string, a woodwind, some percussion, and maybe a second string... which it looks like they've got up there."

"I take it the song isn't that good?" Serenity asked.

"It's not bad. Just too ambient. This is a tavern. We need something more rousing. Rowdy. Fun. You know?" Kyle muttered.

Searching his memories, Matt commented, "Apparently Tannim was a bit of a lute player. I could probably play something." He tactfully did not mention the only reason Tannim learned how to play was to get laid. He eventually became very skilled, in fact.

Serenity, not wanting to be left out, pointed. "If that's anything like the Crystal Reed I learned back... when I was younger, I should be able to follow along."

Kyle, feeling very left out suddenly, groaned and rested her forehead on the table. "Both Jae and I never managed to learn an instrument. Unless you want me to be a backup dancer, you two are on your own."

Serenity smirked. "On the contrary, I'm unsure about Kyle, but I believe your current voice would be wonderful at vocals."

Kyle, unsure what to make of that, picked her head off the table to look at Serenity. "You think so?"

"I'm almost sure of it. Elune struck me as prideful, I doubt she'd make you a... disguise like that, and neglect to give you something like perfect pitch. Gods are somewhat vain like that." The Queen replied.

"You would know, I suppose," Kyle muttered, to which the silver-haired ruler only smiled.

By then, the band had started playing, and while it wasn't the stock tavern music, it was just as ambient and forgettable, earning another groan from Kyle.

"'My Heart Will Go On' by Celine Dion?" Matt suggested with a grin.

Kyle couldn't help it, she snarled. "Anything but that!"

"Hmm... The Sailor Moon Theme? Fighting evil by moonlight?" Matt asked, glancing at Serenity.

"The English lyrics are lame, and I don't know the Japanese well enough to fake it," Kyle replied.

"Hey, I like the English lyrics," Matt defended. "But what about... something by Britney Spears?"

Kyle shuddered. "I'm actually familiar with a few of those... but do you really want to hear me sing 'Hit Me Baby One More Time' to a flute, a lute, and some overturned pots and pans?"

"Well what do you think we should do?" Serenity asked, flatly.

Kyle shrugged, picking her chin up off the table, only to collapse back into her seat and staring up at the ceiling behind her. "I'm kind of having trouble just concentrating, really. All I know is, 90s music is mostly too... instrument heavy. Need something either simple, or fake-able. 80s, or folk songs. I know Old MacDonald."

Serenity, not recognizing the song or the references, turned to Matt, watching him shudder at the song name. "What are 80s?"

"Lots of things," Kyle mumbled, before Matt could answer. "Tiffany, and Tears for Fears, and Culture Club and... lots." She trailed off in thought. Or so Serenity assumed.

"Do you recognize any of those?" She asked, quietly.

Matt nodded. "Yeah, but doubt 'The Crying Game' would be a good opener. Maybe 'Everybody Wants to Rule the World?' But then again, there's got to be something for the adventures, peasants, and wanna-be heroes around here!"

"... I'm holding out for a hero..." Kyle sang quietly as she slouched, head back, and eyes closed, and trying to avoid the numb oblivion the alcohol was inexorably pushing her towards.

"Was that 80s?" Serenity asked.

"It was a ten-year stretch of time dominated by that type of music, yes."

"So is that agreeable?" Serenity asked, poking Kyle to get her attention.

"What?" the inebriated night elf asked, before looking down. "Those are so weird," she muttered.

"'I'm Holding Out for a Hero,'" Matt reiterated.

"I love that song!" Kyle gushed, not caring who heard. The tiny voice that tried to remind him that it wasn't exactly the most brilliant thing to announce was ignored.

"So it's agreed then?" Serenity asked, standing up.

"What?" Kyle asked, confusedly looking away from the candle on the table.

"C'mon Kyle... you said you're going to sing your favorite song," Matt winked at Serenity as he pulled the night elf up and over to the stage by the arm.

"I... did?" She asked, stumbling once as they approached the stage.

"Indeed," Serenity stated, following them with an amused grin. As Matt helped Kyle get steady on her feet, Serenity quickly explained things to the band, who seemed a little wary, but with the help of a few gold to persuade them, they came to see the that it was a good idea to allow them some stage time.

Taking a few minutes to get a feel for the odd, wooden instrument, Serenity asked Matt to strum a few bars so she knew where to start. After quickly getting an understanding for the song, Serenity turned to the crowd, some of whom were watching them and wondering where the music had gone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, my friend here has asked to try out a new song she heard recently... apparently, it's very popular in... other cities. And she'd like to try her luck with it here. So if you would please give the shy Miss Jaessica a chance, I hope not to disappoint!"

There was a smattering of applause, that nicely drowned out Kyle's hiss at Serenity when she called her Jaessica, before Matt strummed the first few notes.

"Where have all the good men gone, and where are all the gods?"

Despite a rocky beginning, Kyle quickly gave in to the music, the booze, and the memories of all the times driving home and singing at the top of his lungs in his car where nobody could hear.

Serenity, for her part, was impressed at Kyle's enthusiasm, and Matt's apparent mastery of the stringed instrument. She was hard pressed to keep up with him, and the only saving grace was the lack of sudden shifts to throw her off. The one flourish he did during the bridge was easy enough to backup, and by that time, the Drummer and second lute player had joined in as well, with the human who's flute she'd taken stood behind Kyle and did her best to harmonize with the human-turned night elf.

As the song wound down (more abruptly than she'd expected) Serenity was surprised by the cheering that the crowd gave them. Hastily bowing to them, she looked over at Matt, before turning her attention to Kyle, who was both rocking in place somewhat drunkenly, but smiling as if pleased with himself.

"Want to try another?" Serenity asked.

Matt looked thoughtful. "Do you think Kyle will last another song?"

Serenity glanced at the wavering night elf, before smiling. "I think we're good for one or two more."

"Got any preferences?"

"How about that other one you mentioned? Tiffany, I think it was?" Serenity supplied.

Matt nodded, before turning to the other lute player and quickly coaching him on the bass' part. A quick example to the drummer, and another for Serenity, and Matt nodded. "I think we're good."

Before the crowd had finished clapping for them, he started strumming, the quick opening to the song painfully obvious to anyone who knew the song. Kyle, upon hearing it, straightened up, smile growing brighter as the drums and second lute joined in.

"Children behave, that's what they say when we're together," Kyle started, much less nervous on the first line, and going with the music much more naturally than the last song.

Not that the patrons could tell. Live performances like this were rare, and an unheard song as upbeat as this was a definite treat. That a rather lovely night elf was up there singing it, and dancing rather seductively as she strutted back and forth across the small stage definitely helped to cement the memory in the minds of the males in the audience. The flute player was quite pretty in an almost regal way, as well. The women in the audience weren't blind either, and the rapid, non-stop, almost magical way the fingers of the high elf strummed his lute lead to some rather enjoyable thoughts for them, as well.

Finally, the song came to a close, to even more cheering, and behind the crowd, which was almost all on their feet, Serenity spotted a number of heads standing outside.

"Seems we've drawn quite a crowd," Serenity said.

"Pity we can't think of an appropriate way to end this," Tannim said, solemnly.

"There's got to be something. Are the 80s only good for two songs?" Serenity asked.

Matt grimaced. "They're good for a lot of songs, but not exactly the best to end a spontaneous concert."

Serenity was unwilling to give up. "And the 90s? The crowd wants to hear something, and I don't want to disappoint them before the night is over!"

The Dwarf on the drums blinked, looking at the still darkening sky outside. "It's.. not really night yet, lass."

The crowd was begging for more, and Serenity felt that there had to be some way... "There has to be some way to save tonight!" Serenity blanched. That was not how she intended to ask Matt to try harder.

As if struck, Matt straightened up. "That's it!"

"What's it?" The lute-less lute player asked, one hand steadying the wobbly night elf singer.

"Simple song, try to keep up," Matt muttered, before coaching the band. Luckily, they'd already seemed to have grown used to the odd music from Earth, and all had enough skill to join a new song with little prompting.

Matt took his place once more, nodded at the backup singer, and began. "Ready? A one, a two, a one two three!" Strumming the lute and enjoying the way it actually managed to sound somewhat like an acoustic guitar, he watched Kyle straighten up once more, take a deep breath, and begin.

"Go on and close, the curtains; cuz all we need, is candlelight..."

Unlike the previous two songs, which were upbeat, and somewhat raucous, this one seemed more mellow, and the crowd visibly relaxed as it played on.

Finally, with a steady fade, the song ended and Kyle opened her eyes and grinned, before collapsing to the stage, much to the shock of the crowd, who'd just begun to cheer.

"Rushing to her side, Serenity was about to call for help when Kyle twitched before letting out a snore that seemed all too voluminous to have come from such a dainty mouth.

"She passed out," someone mumbled.

"Guess the show's over then," another patron muttered.

"But what a show it was, eh?" Someone else said.

Serenity grinned down at the sleeping figure, wondering whether or not she had the strength to lift carry her to a bed, before suddenly looking worried. Where would they take her? Back to the temple?

"Make way, Make way, Get out of my way before I up the price of your meals twofold!" Someone called, before the crowd parted and a night elf approached in a rather flamboyant suit. "The little lady can sleep here, on the house, I've yet to have the place this crowded. Is she for hire? Are all of you?" he asked, excitedly.

Serenity frowned. She was about to turn him down, before thinking it over. "Any decisions we make are between the three of us. It would be an ill deal, indeed, if we were to make such a decision with one third of our troupe left out of the discussion."

The tavern owner nodded. "I see."

"Yes, I'm afraid you'll have to talk to our manager if you'll want to book Queen for any future events," Matt interjected.

"I thought you said her name was Jaessica?" The owner asked, puzzled.

"That is her name, Queen is the name of the band."

"Oh. I see. Interesting name... Well, I suppose you'll want to see that room? I'll cover the meal and drinks as well, you more than earned it with that performance! By Elune! To think that such songs could be sung!" The Tavern owner took off towards a staircase in the back, and Matt and Serenity shared a look before grabbing one of Kyle's arms each and supporting the passed out elf between them.

As they followed the proprietor through the still-cheering crowd, Matt muttered under his breath "God, Kyle needs to go on a diet. Anyway..." he grinned at Serenity. "Still think we're so bad?"

Serenity looked down at the passed-out elf in her care, and over at the second elf she'd spent an hour performing before a crowd with. "Hmm... When one of you is drunk, and the other trying to please a crowd, you might just be agreeable." She smiled at his look of shock, before turning to watch where they were going. "Still... Elune explained some things to me after you returned here... and I think my initial assessment of you both was more accurate than I had come to believe."

Matt, realizing the conversation had turned serious, quietly asked, "And what was that initial assessment?"

Looking down at Kyle again, Serenity let a small smile grace her lips. "You two have potential to be a lot of things; the most important... and most selfish... being my friends."

* * *

Holy geeze, I totally forgot to post this. I'm an idiot. Sorry!

Next chapter is... in need of editing. And the one after that is almost complete. And in need of a lot more editing. So... those'll be out soonish. I think. Matt! Get online! Got more writing to do!


	8. Chapter 7

"I still can't believe you guys did that to me!" Kyle groused, trying to both hide her face and glare at her companions as they walked along the paths of Darnassus.

Matt nodded along with whatever Kyle was saying. She had been complaining for the past fifteen minutes. While it was starting to wear a bit on him, Serenity was still snickering every once and a while at Kyle's complaints. Neither one had apologized for their part in last night's fiasco, but Matt dearly wished he'd been able to snag Kyle's cell phone and record to the whole thing. It would've been great blackmail material for years.

Kyle, for her part, had had a fairly horrible morning. Waking up with a pounding headache, she'd quickly discovered that Jae's body was apparently one of those that experienced the hangovers most people only pretended to have. Back when she had been a he, and human, the worst he'd ever suffered was a dry mouth and some h. This, though...

"And Serenity, your snickering is like driving an ice-pick through my brain... these ears are sensitive!"

Serenity tried to keep a straight face, she really did. But the memory of Kyle singing drunkenly to a crowded tavern simply brought her too much joy to contain. It was quite possibly the most fun she'd had in centuries, and she really couldn't help the occasional fit of laughter that seeped through her regal facade.

"Alas, it appears I cannot quite contain myself." Serenity did not sound apologetic in the least.

With an overly-dramatic sigh, Kyle threw her hands up. "Forget it, you guys are... ugh. I hate you!" Despite her words, she continued to travel with them towards the odd gazebo that lead to the docks.

"Remind me, friend, where we're headed?" Serenity asked, once she'd gotten her laughter under control, and felt Kyle'd had enough time to cool off.

With a weary sigh, Kyle explained. "Up ahead is a portal..._ thing_, that leads down to the docks of Teldrasil. From there, we're going to take the ferry to Auberdine, which is where the main boat to Stormwind departs. Hopefully, we'll be able to catch that boat, and from there, we'll mosey on over to the boat to Northrend."

"Don't forget to grab the flight path." At Serenity's curious gaze, Matt winced. "Or will we need it? Are we coming back? I just remember needing to talk to those griffon guys if we ever wanted to ride anywhere." He did not add how much he really, really wanted to try riding a griffon. Despite Tannim's memories of riding such beasts, Matt wanted the first-hand experience. It seemed very, very fun.

"Not to burst your bubble, kid, but we're probably never coming back this way again," Kyle thoughtfully added, and secretly enjoying the look of crestfallen dismay on the Human-turned-High-Elf's face.

"And... what is this Auberdine place?" Serenity asked, a moment later.

Kyle paused, forcing the others to stop behind her or risk running into her, before turning around. "Auberdine is a night elf city on the northwestern coast of Kalimdor, one of Azeroth's two major continents. Stormwind, where we're headed, is in the Eastern Kingdoms, where Ironforge and Dun Morogh are. That's the other continent."

Serenity nodded in understanding.

Matt reached deep in the recesses of his mind to try and recall just where the ships in Auberdine went. He gave up and searched Tannim's memories. "Hey, when did they put in a ship to go to Stormwind? I remember it going to somewhere else." Of course, that had been several years and two expansions ago. "And they've got a ship going to Exodar, too?"

As they approached the low gazebo glowing with an unnatural pinkish light, Kyle shrugged, before turning to walk backwards. "Auberdine did have a boat going to Menethil Harbor, as well as a boat to-" With a flash, Kyle disappeared as she entered the pinkish light, her explanation being cut off mid-sentence.

Matt bowed and motioned towards Serenity. "Ladies first." She smiled at this bit of chivalry and without hesitation stepped into the pink light. He soon followed, and enjoyed the brief tingling sensation that spread throughout his body from that particular form of transport. It was like being caressed with a hundred feathers all at once, both inside and out.

"-The Exodar," Kyle finished, somewhat dismayed that Serenity seemed utterly unimpressed with the magic that had teleported them from the city in the trees down to sea level.

Leading them down the hill they'd appeared on, and towards a dock that jutted out into a gray, foreboding sea, Kyle continued his explanation. "When Wrath of the Lich King came out, the boat from Auberdine to Menethil instead went to Stormwind, and the dock in Menethil was instead used to give players a path to Northrend; one of two. With the Horde, they have Zeppelins; we in the Alliance have boats."

"Sounds... interesting," Serenity said, thinking the explanation over. "Do you think the boats will run as they did in the game?"

Kyle snorted. "I doubt it. Maintaining a fleet of ships to constantly travel back and forth with or without passengers seems not only excessive, but wasteful. And Jae agrees... we're going to have to hire a ship."

"From here?" Serenity asked, with a note of disdain in her voice. The dock ahead had a few boats tethered to it, but none looked capable of sailing across an ocean.

"No, from here, we'll just find someone to ferry us across to Auberdine... you can just make it out through the mist," he said, pointing across the water, towards a cloud of mist, and the mountains peeking up further behind it. "And it looks like Blaine's still here," Kyle said, grinning.

"Blaine?" Serenity asked softly.

"Blaine!" Kyle called in Darnassian, before freezing.

"... Can I help you?" The male night elf asked curiously as he looked over the night elf, human, and... high elf? approaching his fishing boat. He may be old, but he didn't recognize any of them, despite the apparent familiarity the night elf seemed to have with him.

"Sorry, I'd just... heard so much about you, it's like I already knew you," Kyle said, wincing internally. Jae's memories were damnably complete, but sometimes, the lack of her actual existence could be problematic.

"That's alright, friend. You're not the first to address me with such familiarity. I assume, then, you seek passage to Auberdine?" The fisher asked.

Kyle nodded. "Yes, please. My friends and I are on our way to Stormwind." Despite having no trouble talking in a language utterly unfamiliar to Kyle a few days earlier, this body had no trouble with it, and managed to switch to English without pause when speaking the name of the human city.

"We're willing to pay, if it'll help," Serenity offered, in Darnassian as well.

Both Kyle and Blaine stared at Serenity in surprise, and even Matt couldn't help but ask: "When'd you learn that?"

"Learn what?" Serenity asked, sounding confused.

"Darnassian... and English, now that I think about it," Kyle asked.

"Oh! Languages? I'd be a pretty lousy leader of a Solar System if I couldn't understand different languages, wouldn't you think? The Serenity line has always had an innate ability to understand and speak any language observed," the Queen explained, as if discussing the weather.

"Goddess, I wish I had that ability," Kyle said, earning a nod from Matt and Blaine as well.

"Anata wa wakarimasu desu ka?" Matt asked in one part of his admittedly small Japanese vocabulary.

"Yes, I understand. Why do you ask?"

Matt switched to Thalassian, language of the high elves. "Doral ana'diel?"

"Well, thank you. And you?" Serenity asked in the same.

"Ow-hey bout-ay ow-nay?" Kyle shot.

"Ine-fay. is-thay one-ay," she paused, looking down with a frown for a second, "is-thay one is un-fay?" She shrugged. "I can't actually fully grasp it. What's the purpose of a language modifier like that?"

Kyle shrugged. "Pig Latin. Call it a roughly humorous bastardization of English to be... err... latin-ified." With a grin, she pointed at a wandering night elf Sentinel. "Bogey on your six, please eyeball to de-louse."

Serenity blinked, before turning around and looking at the night elf indicated. "Bogey verified. It's a Chick." Again she paused, before frowning. "That one was confusing... And vaguely militant. I can see the Martian Legions falling in love with it."

"Huh. I honestly didn't think Brevity Code would count, since it's just a bunch of... code," Kyle admitted.

"Um... excuse me," Blaine said, wondering what had just happened.

"Oh, Blaine! Sorry!" Kyle said, before holding out her hand, "I'm... err... Jaessica, and my friends are Serenity and... Tannim?" Smiling away, as best she could the confusion in her voice, she waited as he greeted each in turn.

"One's as good as the other," Matt shrugged. "It'll do. Please to meet you, good sir. Slain any undead lately?"

"I killed my share of the Scourge and Burning Legion in the Battle at Hyjal, but after that..." he trailed off, and turned to look at the misty sea. "I'm tired of the death. I do what I can for my people, Paladin. It may not be as glorious as the fight against the undead, but I like to think I've done my part... and continue to do it."

Serenity spoke up, before Matt could respond. "I, for one, appreciate your contributions. Even if the humans of this world never directly benefit from your contributions, the help of the night elves in the ongoing war is not to be dismissed or ignored."

"And an army marches on its stomach," Kyle amended with a quick grin.

"Indeed it does, friend. Indeed it does," Blaine responded, smiling in return. Strange though these three were, they at least seemed to have a bit of common sense. He hoped they'd survive long enough to get the chance to make the decision he had, even if they chose to continue the fight, in the end.

Shaking his head at the thought of all the young wanna-be adventurers that had passed though his boat on their way to adventure and untimely death, he turned to the trio. "Well, we'd best be off before the tide turns. If you don't mind me checking my traps on the way, I can get you to Auberdine free of charge. If you must get there as fast as possible, though, I'll have to ask for compensation for the lost time."

"Well..." Kyle started, frowning in thought. "I suppose that depends. When does the Ferry to Stormwind arrive?"

"Tomorrow afternoon, if the weather holds," Blaine responded amicably.

Serenity nodded. "Well then, don't let our presence keep you from your work."

"I'd even offer my assistance with it, if you'd have it," Matt offered with a tilt of his head. "It'd be more than fair for the ride."

Blaine nodded. "The help would be appreciated friend." Glancing once more at the three, he nodded. "Well then, let us be off. The tide is with us, and the wind is fair. I should have you in Auberdine before the sun sets."

Kyle blinked, and was about to point out that the other shore was visible from where the stood, but a stray memory of Jaessica's stopped her. Apparently, Blaine's traps went up the coast of Teldrasil, then down the coast of Darkshore, with a few scattered among the shallows between the two. It was an afternoon affair to check them all, and Blaine would definitely make Matt work, though his apparent chivalrous streak would let her get away with watching.

"Score!" Kyle mumbled, as she crossed the dock and jumped down into the boat. It wasn't a galleon, but at 30-some odd feet, and a pair of square sails, it was impressive that Blaine handled it by himself most of the time.

"Come, Tannim. We've got lines to cast, and traps to check." Blaine called, as he followed Kyle onto the ship.

"Aye aye, captain!" Matt said cheerfully.

A few hours later, Matt's cheer had evaporated, to be replaced with weariness and displeasure. "Surely it wouldn't hurt 'her' to help a little?" Matt asked, glancing at a smiling Kyle, who was sitting at a small table with Serenity and watching the two run around to check trap after trap.

"Of course not, Lad, but that's not the point! Women like them have their duties, and Men like us have ours."

Leaning forward, Serenity quietly asked Kyle "'Women like us?'"

Kyle held back a snort. "'Women' indeed." With a shrug, she grinned and leaned back. "Social Sexual-dimorphism. It's not quite sexist here on Azeroth, but chivalry exists... go figure."

"I see... so what is our job, exactly?" The Queen finally asked.

"As far as I can tell, avoid sweating, smile at the big strong men, and maybe work on our tans." Kyle said, before scowling at her blueish skin. "Can I tan?" Thinking about it a moment, she scowled. "Apparently, I burn. Easily."

"And you would prefer what? To turn cyan?" Serenity deadpanned.

"... I guess not." Kyle looked around then sighed. "This is somewhat boring, though."

"I'm sorry my company isn't mentally stimulating enough for you," Serenity replied. "You're not exactly girlfriend material yourself, you know."

Kyle winced, before scowling. "Why does Jae take that... oh. Huh. One sec, let me think..." Kyle was surprised to find out that, despite Jae's forays into the world, she'd made few strong friends, and they were all merely memories placed there by Elune, so for all intents and purposes, they were dead. While a bit of a tomboy, Kyle couldn't help but blanche at the more feminine memories, before wincing again upon realizing the kind of things Serenity might have wanted to talk about. "Wow... umm... tell you what. Since we're here for Blaine-knows how long, why don't you ask some questions about night elves. Who knows... I might learn something, too."

Serenity looked thoughtful for a moment, before nodding. "Alright."

And so, as Matt and Blaine whiled away the afternoon with hard labor, Serenity and Kyle talked about the inconsequential until the boat drifted to a stop at an empty dock in Auberdine that evening.

"I musta gained like two hundred points in my fishing skill," Matt muttered to himself as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Yes yes, but can you open all the clams you got while mounted?" Kyle replied, with a smirk. Serenity ignored the inane banter to observe the coastal city of Auberdine.

Matt paused to think. "We should probably can the game chatter. It wouldn't do good to spook the locals." He kept the fact that he himself had no idea what Kyle was talking about carefully hidden and as the boat neared the dock, and he leapt out to help tie it to its mooring.

Xxxxx

Meanwhile, in a cave far, far away:

"Alright, the next item on the agenda... an attack on our Ironforge outlet."

"Survivors?"

"Three. Apparently, our wizard got confused and killed our men, letting the attackers go."

"... I see... and our wizard is...?"

"Never going to make that mistake or any other again."

"Excellent. And the attackers?"

"Actually, it appears two of them have run afoul of the Priestess of Elune. They were escorted to the temple in Darnassus and have yet to emerge. The third has, apparently, been released."

"Well, keep an eye out for the other two, and the usual for the third."

"..."

"I sense you're going to argue with me on this."

"Not argue, merely... _suggest_. She's... unusual. Fetching. Carries herself well. There are uses for someone like that. She could prove valuable."

"I see... very well then. I trust you to see to the details. Make it so."

"Very good sir. Next, we have a surprise turnout of..."

Xxxxx

Unlike the marble structures that made up the bulk of Darnassus' buildings, Auberdine was a quainter-looking town, the buildings made of thick curved timbers supporting violet tiled roofs. Most of the buildings were open as well, where one would expect a wall with a door, there were gaping entrances that gave Kyle both a sense of nostalgia, as well as unease.

"For a race so ready to call itself 'prepared' for the second coming of the Demons, Simple concepts like 'security' and 'privacy' seem to have been totally overlooked.

Serenity blinked at that, having totally missed that aspect of the architectural philosophy. "Hmm... and how does Jae feel about it?"

Kyle smirked. "Honestly, she feels about the same way.... huh. Apparently she had a nice little house. Actually, it was like a studio apartment, with... ..." she trailed off, eyes wide.

"What? With what?" Matt asked.

"Umm..." Despite the blueish skin, Kyle managed an impressive blush. "Apparently there's a community bath."

"Oh?" Matt asked, then his eyes widened. "Oh!"

"Yeah," Kyle nodded. What wasn't mentioned were the thoughts such memories lead to, and the associated memories there. Who knew?

"In any case," Kyle said, trying to divert attention back to their surroundings, "I'm pretty sure this building here at the base of the dock is an inn, and we can get a room while we wait for the ferry to Stormwind."

"Remind me again why we couldn't just get a portal to Stormwind?" Matt asked plaintively. He'd already had a long day working on a boat, the less time spent on another, the better.

"Because there weren't any mages in Darnassus that would send us."

"This should also, I believe, allow you more time to be acclimated with your abilities and memories," Serenity pointed out. "I'd much have two capable fighters at my side than two people, and four conflicted personalities."

"The lady doth have a point," Matt pointed out.

Matt shrugged, "I guess so."

It took several seconds to register that he had been talking to himself. Matt nodded to himself. "Ah, there's the first sign of insanity. I was wondering when that'd show up. It's a little late, though, don't you think?"

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Lets... just get a room." pausing to think about that for a moment, she hastily amended. "Let's get two rooms."

Fortunately, the Inn was fairly empty, and a pair of rooms were easily gotten with some of their purloined gold, Tannim getting his own at Serenity's insistence, while the two girls shared a room with twin beds.

When they were as alone as they could be, Serenity waved Kyle over towards her bed, and whispered quietly; "I know you're really a man, but I don't think I could face Matt and ask you about this. I..." she trailed off, and looked somewhat concerned, before whispering. "I need a refresher."

"... Excuse me?" Kyle deadpanned.

"I... there's... you know. Pressure. I've been looking, but there aren't any... devices to help cope with such things around here."

"What are you used to?" Kyle asked curiously.

"Crystal Refreshers, the highest quality of personal relief," Serenity admitted. "Only the best. But here...?" She shrugged helplessly. "I don't know what to do."

Kyle's blue face twitched, the long eyebrows wiggling as she tried to comprehend this. "Wait... you... are trying to... uhh... _relieve_ yourself?"

Serenity's innate grasp of language helped her catch what was implied, and she reared back in shock. "NO!"

Doing her best to calm herself (and wishing away the blush that burned her cheeks) Serenity pointed to her lower abdomen, just below her navel. "Here. Pressure. Relief?" She hoped the simplicity of the request would convey what her failed attempts at explanation had not.

"OH!" Kyle said, in sudden understanding. With a knowing nod, he crossed his arms and elaborated. "You need to take a leak."

Serenity's blank stare at that worried Kyle. "Err... you... have to go to the bathroom, I mean? Number one?" at her lack of a response, Kyle scooted back on her bead a little. "It's not, you know... number two, is it? Is it in the front or the back? I... why am I asking? Why are _you_ asking?"

Serenity, who had managed to lose all her composure, stared at Kyle with the most impressive set of puppy-dog eyes (s)he could ever recall seeing. "I don't know what it means!"

"..." That wasn't expected. "You... don't... know how to go?"

The queen shook her head. "That's what a Crystal Refresher is for. Ever since I can remember, whenever I felt like this, I stepped inside, there was a flash of light, and I felt better."

"... How about that. They teleport the shit right outta ya on the moon."

Serenity, face flushing, buried her face in her hands. "I cannot believe you just said that."

"Well, seriously. This isn't something I think I've ever had to explain. Do the moon cats use these... Crystal 'freshers too?" Kyle asked, hoping to sidestep the issue.

"Of course! They're fairly ubiquitous." Serenity responded, as if it were obvious.

"Well then. This... is going to get fairly... umm... There's a word for it, but goddess only knows what it is, cuz I can't think of it," Kyle finally said, while trying to figure out how to phrase things.

Fortunately, despite the few times the new-night-elf tripped over an explanation here and there, Serenity seemed willing to listen, and finally she nodded her understanding, before heading out the door.

When she came back a good twenty minutes later, she looked a bit less sure of herself. "This... stays between us." She said, her voice allowing no argument.

Kyle just nodded, before trying to change the subject. "So... umm... yeah." After fumbling for a moment, she decided on a much better subject. "Why did Elune... do this to me? And Matt, though, more me, since this is a fairly drastic change, you know..."

Serenity smiled, sitting down on the bed she'd claimed, and looking across the room at Kyle, who was watching her intently. "Do you really wish to know?"

Kyle nodded, and Serenity sighed.

"You scare me."

Kyle blinked, unsure how to respond to that. Finally; "Elune... this world's moon goddess, turned me into a female night elf, because I _scared_ you?"

Serenity nodded, looking out the oversized window at the dreary conifers beyond. "You're very... strong-willed. Elune explained it to me some, after you two had left, and I don't hold it against you or anything, but you're..." She paused, turning to look at Kyle, before sighing again. "You're different than most every man I've ever met."

Kyle smirked, and grabbed his breasts, ignoring how odd it felt, and replied. "Yes. I'm definitely different than most men."

Serenity rolled her eyes, before pointing at him. "You are _not_ of the Silver Millennium. While Matt behaves similarly, you treat me with little reverence at even the most trying of times, and it's hard for me to cope. All the people I've ever met at least respected my position... you... don't seem to care."

"I care," Kyle frowned, not liking this almost-melancholy dressing-down. "I'm..." She paused, humming in thought for a moment, before continuing, "I'm not used to royalty whatsoever, and I'm pretty socially independent. So... it's just... not in my nature to act so... subservient. I tend to toss out the phrase 'respect is earned, not given,' but in truth, I tend to show little respect to anyone."

"Yes, I'd been told as much. Your stint in the military gave Elune a good-enough look at that facet of yourself." Serenity stated with a wan smile. Then the smile faded. "But that's not what you asked. You wanted to know why you are like you are?"

Kyle nodded, and she continued. "I'm not used to strong-willed men, but women? I've quite a few of them around me at almost all times."

"Ahh... the senshi."

"Yes. My friends, my protectors, the guardians of the Silver Millennium. They themselves are not as free-spirited as you at your most rebellious times, but you behave far more like one of them than any of my male guards."

"So... it's to make you comfortable? At the expense of my comfort?" Kyle asked, her displeasure creeping into her voice.

"No, it's... something Elune refused to say. But from what I can guess, I'm to come to trust you as I do any of my senshi... to what end, I don't know, but in this way, I can begin to get over the part of you that frightens me the most." Serenity replied cryptically.

"Well, that's..." Kyle started, before pausing. "What frightens you the most? The fact that I'm a guy?"

"Have you ever wondered why no men are senshi, despite an even split in the sexes, both on earth and in the Silver Millennium?" Serenity asked, changing tactics.

"You mean, aside from the fact that it was a story written by a girl, for girls, and a bunch of guys acting like girls would be fairly underselling?" Kyle deadpanned.

"... That's... not quite the response I expected." She shook her head, before pointing at Kyle, "there's a common theme in many of the cultures I've observed; 'women create, and men destroy.' It's certainly untrue, as both have the capacity for both creation and destruction, but-"

"Every myth has some basis in truth," Kyle said, cutting her off.

Serenity smirked. "Indeed. A nice way to put it. So, when the idea of the Senshi was first proposed, we decided that, in a female-ruled society, a set of female guardians would reinforce the theme we'd established: forging an empire of peace and prosperity."

"So... men kinda got shafted." Kyle said.

"Of course not. They're not second-class citizens, and they certainly have every opportunity to advance as women, but certain positions are held only by women, and over time, that's filtered down so that our society as a whole tends to have a matriarchal bent to it... something I've been told is pretty much the opposite where you come from."

Kyle nodded. "Okay... and... what's this got to do with me?"

Serenity sighed, "I'm just establishing the past so you understand where I'm coming from. _Your role_ in things is... unknown to me. But Elune has stated that there's... a need for you. You and Matt. And I get the feeling that need goes beyond Azeroth."

"You mean... what? You're not going to send us home from here?" Kyle asked, frowning.

"If that is what you wish, than I'll use everything in my power to return you to your homes..." she paused, looking somewhat unsure whether or not to continue, before nodding softly to herself and straightening up. Turning to gaze at Kyle with all her regal bearing, she elaborated. "My Kingdom is in danger. I knew this before you came, and have done all I can to see it through these troubled times. Yet you imply that there's more to come, up to and including the collapse of everything we've ever built."

"We never said that!" Kyle protested, though even to her, it sounded hollow.

Serenity pierced her with a glare. "I can read between the lines, you know. Your implications and insinuations were enough to fill me in on the most likely outcome. And even if you two had never arrived, what you've hinted at is similar to what my court scribes have predicted in their worst-case scenarios."

"I see... and you think Matt and I can change this?"

Serenity shook her head. "I don't know what to think. Elune, however... she feels it is destiny. And I fear she's correct. There's something about you two that implies change, unpredictability... chaos. If I can harness that for the good of my kingdom, my _people_, what kind of ruler would I be to pass up the opportunity to save everything I built? Everything that I love?"

Kyle sighed. "People are dying?"

"Few at first, but recently, it's been hard to face the coming day, knowing that a steadily growing list of casualties is waiting for me each morning." Serenity explained, factually.

"And you think I can somehow change this?" Kyle asked quietly, eyes closed.

"I don't know. Can you?" Serenity asked, just as quietly.

Kyle thought on this. Without asking, Serenity had requested his aid. Aid in a fight he knew was destined to fail. And yet, was it? He knew the source, knew the enemies plans, and even had a rough idea as to when the decapitating blow was to be delivered. Could he change history so drastically? _Should_ he?

Opening his glowing eyes to look down at his- no, _her_ obviously female chest, an attempt by Elune to help him gain Serenity's trust faster, Kyle couldn't help but sigh in resignation. There was really no other answer to give.

"I can't do it alone."

"Whatever help you need, you'll have it," the Queen replied instantly.

"This will not be quick, and it will be violent and unpopular with your more peace-loving citizens."

"Do what you can to keep it clandestine, and I will work whatever magic it takes to cover it up."

"And the violence? casualties? Collateral damage and innocent bystanders whose luck runs out at the most inopportune of moments?" Kyle asked, eyes narrowed.

Serenity closed her eyes, looking pained. "Death is never acceptable, but sometimes, it is also unavoidable. You will do everything in your power to minimize innocent casualties, and I will simply have to learn to accept that which I cannot change."

Kyle nodded. "I can do that. Will you offer Matt the same choice?"

Serenity nodded. "I shall, though his nature is less inclined to dip towards the more visceral responses as you. Do you think he'd accept?"

Kyle grinned. "You're very good at telling me I'm violent-prone without insulting me."

"I'm a queen. We have to have _some_ tact to get through the day." She said, rolling her eyes and smiling. "Do you?"

"You _are_ a queen... And by accepting, I suppose that would make you _my_ queen, as well. So, your highness, I feel I should say, with all due respect, that you're being an idiot for even considering the possibility that he'd turn you down."

"... Really?" She asked, looking somewhat surprised.

"Definitely."

"Well then, I shall ask him tomorrow. And as for you..." She put her finger to her chin in thought. "The Silver Millennium doesn't currently have knights, but I think you'd best fit that role... I'll see to it that you're given the proper recognition upon our return, and for now... For now, I only ask that you continue with the task I've already asked of you."

"Yes yes, your precious space-rock." Kyle said, rolling over in bed so her back was to the queen.

"Space rock!?" Serenity squawked, shocked at the way one of her guardians referred to the Silver Crystal. Before Kyle could say anything, she hurled one of her pillows at the night elf's back, earning a grunt of surprise.

"Oh, I see how it is," Kyle answered, before the room was full of flying pillows and bubbly laughter.

Xxxxx

Matt glared at the ceiling. He didn't know why, but he had the sudden sensation that he was missing out on one spectacular girl-on-girl pillow fight, and every bit of him that was Tannim was screaming at him to go outside and look for it.

Rather than give into the urge, he curled up on his side and placed his own pillow over his head. Someone down the hall from him was making an awful racket, and it was getting hard to sleep.

It was then that it occurred to him just who was sleeping down there; namely, Kyle and Serenity.

Matt spent the rest of his evening trying to block out the mental image of the two bouncing up and down on their beds, tossing pillows at one another.

Author's Note: Whoops. Totally forgot to post this here. Sorry everyone.


	9. Chapter 8

"Think they suspect something?"

"Not likely. And even if they did, that tainted soup should keep them asleep long enough for us to grab the one and get back."

"It's too bad we're not allowed to sample them..."

"You just remember what happened to the last guy who acted on those thoughts. Grab her legs, will ya?"

"I'm not going to... jus' sayin'..."

"Alright, we're good. Lets go."

Xxxxx

Kyle rushed through the woods, doing her best to ignore the shouts of Matt fading behind her. The day was off to a pretty horrible start.

After a three-day trip by boat across the ocean to Stormwind, they'd taken a day to get used to the ground not rocking beneath them before trying to charter a boat to Northrend. Unfortunately, the dock master had taken one look at them and denied them passage to the Northern Wastes, telling them it was for their own good.

Dejected, the party had traveled to Goldshire at Kyle's insistence, in an attempt to plan their next move. A Small village outside of the bustling fortress-city of Stormwind, Goldshire had been a peaceful little place the three felt was good for planning their next move.

That was yesterday. Today, they'd woken up to a warm meal, and no Serenity. In her place had been a piece of gold, and a note not to follow them.

"Bastards," Kyle snarled, pulling her daggers and sprinting out the door, with Tannim at her heels and quickly falling behind.

Reaching an empty clearing, Kyle stopped, half his mind screaming at her for running like an idiot, and the other half screaming at him for letting this happen.

A minute later, Matt emerged from the trees, stepping into the leaf-spotted sunlight of the clearing and looking her over. "Any luck?"

"No... I... was stupid. I don't know why I ran here. Jae doesn't either. Shit, I can't believe they just took her."

"Of all the-!" Matt punched the nearby tree with a gauntleted fist, and growled in frustration. "We have to find her! Hire a hunter to track them down! Do something!"

The foliage danced with the wind as if in response to the agitation felt by the two standing in the clearing. For once, Kyle was at a loss for what to do next. Everything had been planned. They'd retrieve the rock, head back to the Moon Kingdom, thwart the impending invasion and go home. Now the Gold Farmers had kidnapped their one ticket back, and thrown everything for a loop. It had been carelessness, a stupid mistake to not set some sort of watch or perimeter guard, she knew, and all this could have probably been avoided. But when Serenity insisted on her own room last night, she hadn't even thought twice about it...

"We're going after them, right?" Matt's eyes shone with fierce determination; in part born from holy zeal to see righteousness done on the Tannim side of things, and partly from his own rage at seeing a friend stolen right under their own noses.

Kyle stared at Matt for a moment, before shaking her head free of the endless loop of recriminations going through her head. "Yeah... yeah we are. They want to play at being bad like that? Then we'll just have to introduce them to some Twenty-first century bad-assery."

Turning around, Kyle started walking back towards Goldshire.

"What's the plan?" Matt asked, as he followed.

"We get whatever we left at the inn, and head to Stormwind. If there were Gold Farmers in Ironforge, there's bound to be some in the other Alliance capital city."

"Are we going to kill them?" Distaste was evident in his face and voice. "I know they're bad guys, but... they're still people."

"We'll find out where they took her, one way or the other," Kyle replied, her steps even as they approached the inn.

"You don't have to kill them for that, though."

"Matt! Right now, I'm in a body that's distinctly not mine. I have ears that make sleeping on my back uncomfortable, foreign thoughts constantly running through my head, and I swear to god, I think it's that time of month or something. And Jae is not at all opposed to killing those who threaten or hurt her friends. So please don't give me any reason to tear into you, alright?" Kyle snapped, before stepping onto the road that lead from Goldshire to Stormwind.

Matt drew up to his full height and took a step forward into Kyle's personal space. He stuck his face fully in to the Night Elf's, who, to her credit, did not flinch. "Look. We're both concerned about her, alright? Truth is: Tannim has had to kill too, but it's always been reluctantly and I happen to agree with him on that. When it comes down to it, I'd rather see a hundred bad guys dead and bleeding than even one of my friends hurt. But we will not, I repeat, will NOT endanger lives if they can be spared, no matter who they are. We start doing that we become our enemies, and are no better than the Scourge."

"Jae fought the Scourge as well. Both here, and at Hyjal. Don't you _dare_ compare me to those mindless abominations. I will refrain from outright killing, but _only_ because a trail of dead bodies will **not** help up. But don't expect me to ask nicely when we confront them." Kyle replied, eyes narrowed and mouth drawn tight.

"Fine." Matt said tersely, and stepped back with obvious reluctance. "But know this: I will not hesitate to place myself between you and an enemy if I deem it necessary; and on that day, feel free to 'tear into me' if you dare."

Kyle sneered, before spinning to continue on her way. "Like I care," she shot over her shoulder. "Water-boarding doesn't leave any physical scars, anyway."

Before Matt could reply to that, Kyle stepped inside the inn to retrieve their gear.

Xxxxx

After paying for the interrupted and untouched breakfast, and asking the innkeeper if they'd seen anything, Kyle left, tossing Matt what little he'd left behind as he passed, heading up the road to Stormwind.

Matt huffed and he puffed as he shuffled behind slowly in his plate armor. This stuff was heavy! He briefly took the time to envy Kyle in her lighter leather armor.

Elwynn forest, in which Goldshire sat in the center of, was cheery-looking, which only helped to enhance Kyle's foul mood. When a lost-looking young dwarf, stepped in front of her, she had to bite her tongue not to scream at him.

"Good morning, ma'am." Kyle's eyebrows twitched at that. "I was wondering if you knew the way to Westfall Garrison. I've been asked to report there for the militia, and don't know these human lands as well as I do the snowy fields of Dun Morogh."

"And... you're asking a night elf?" Kyle replied.

"Aye, you look like you know your way around these parts." The Dwarf replied.

"I see. Well, you're in luck." Stopping to turn around and orient herself, she pointed down the road. "Follow this road to Goldshire. It'll hit another road going east and west. Travel west, and just follow the road... you can't really miss Westfall, It's after the bridge, just look for the tower."

"I see. Thank you ma'am. And you too, good sir. Always nice to see a fellow Paladin." With that, the Dwarf raised his shiny battle hammer in salute, before heading down the road. "Thanks again," he called back. "You two make a cute couple!"

Whatever satisfaction Kyle had taken out of helping the young paladin died with that, and only Matt's solid grip on the collar of her leather armor kept her from following the runty little fellow and giving him a piece of her mind.

"Lets get going, _dear_. We've still got a ways ahead of us." Despite Kyle's rather loudly proclaimed disagreement that it wouldn't take long, Matt kept his grip and forcibly dragged the Night Elf towards their destination. His greater weight allowed Matt to pull Kyle along despite her vehement protests until she started walking in that direction on her own violation.

Kyle straightened out her armor and pretended nothing had happened. "I'll head towards Old Town when we get there. Where are you going?"

"I figure I might as well check the trade district, maybe the innkeeper there might have a better idea of where to look for them than our last one. If not one of the merchants in the area might have a clue."

The city of Stormwind was, as one would expect of a capital city, huge, and the granite and marble that made up most of it still shone brightly in the morning sunlight. The main entrance from Elwynn Forest lead visitors past some rather impressive marble statues of heroes from earlier wars (games), directly into the Trade district, east of which lay Old Town, where Kyle turned to go.

Matt turned left, in the opposite direction, heading toward where he vaguely remembered the inn to be. Luck was with him; not only did he head in the correct direction immediately, but every shop had huge signs hanging above the doors, cheerfully proclaiming their wares with large pictures so as not to confuse newcomers. The inn was clearly visible this way, with the sign easy to identify thanks to a giant beer stein for a marker. Underneath it read 'The Gilded Rose,' which Matt assumed was the name of the place.

Upon entering the building, Matt was greeted with the smiling face of the proprietor, a young woman with auburn hair. She started at seeing the race of her new arrival, but quickly caught herself. "And what brings you, traveler, to the Rose this fine day?"

"Alcohol. Lots of it. I've heard this place has the best. I hope you can accommodate me?"

"Certainly good sir!" Finally, a customer that appreciated her fine apple ale! "Would you like it by the barrel or by the cup?"

"By all means, let's get a keg party going in here. My treat." Matt pulled out his large sack of gold and took out a fistful of coins. "This should hopefully pay for everything."

"Thank you, kind sir! This is more than enough!"

Xxxxx

Unlike the seemingly-random spread of vendor's carts and the sound of barkers crying their wares out to passerby's in the trade district, Old Town was serene, despite its somewhat-hypocritical name. Almost all of Stormwind had been destroyed in the second Warcraft game, and only recently rebuilt within the past twenty years or so. Old town was mostly as new as the rest of the city. What hadn't been replaced had been touched up quite a bit. Despite that, the architecture here felt less... refined; which suited Kyle fine.

"Well well, what have we here, boys?"

Kyle rolled her eyes as a gang of young humans stepped out of an alleyway, one keeping a close eye on the road leading towards the militia barracks.

"A new face, even if it is another elf..." one of them answered.

"That's right! And that means-"

"-they have to pay the toll!" a third finished, picking up what the leader had started saying mid-sentence.

Glancing around, Kyle smirked, glad Matt had left, before lunging, glad to be offered a chance to take out her frustrations. Before they could do more than cry out in surprise, the one watching the road received a boot heel to the head, the second had been body-checked into the stone wall nearby, the third was flopping around on the ground after taking a fist to the face, and the leader was now staring into the unsettling silver eyes of the female night elf assassin who was poking him in the neck with the tip of a plain-looking (but definitely sharp) dagger.

"Gold Farmers. What do you know about them." Kyle asked flatly, ears twitching as she listened to the one on the ground behind her continue to try to get his bearings.

"G-g-gold? Farmers?" The leader asked, earlier bravado replaced with stutter-inducing fear.

"Yes. Gold Farmers. I'm _not_ in a good mood, so if you could answer me quickly, I'd be far less likely to use this," she emphasized her threat by jiggling the dagger against his jugular.

"Ahh," he quailed, swallowing and wincing as the shift drove the dagger a bit deeper into his throat. "I've... heard of 'em. B-but never actually met one."

"Go on," Kyle prompted, smiling even as he heard the youth on the ground start to climb to his feet.

"They're... people say they trade in rare goods, and can get you whatever you want... for the right price. I don't know anything else though. I promise!" Despite the worry in his voice, his look over Kyle's shoulder was all the warning the human-turned-night-elf needed. Kyle pulled him forward a few inches before shoving him hard into the wall with her free hand, allowing her fist wrapped around the pommel to hit the risen youth behind her in the face in a full-powered backhand. This time, when he hit the ground, he stayed there, and by the time the leader had gotten over the bruising bounce off the solid wall, he was once again alone and at the night-elf's mercy.

"Cute, but not really helpful. I suppose I'll have to use this after all," Kyle said, glancing down at her dagger, but not bothering to sound unhappy at the thought of using it at all.

"No! Please! I've told you everything I know! What more do you want?!"

Kyle paused, somewhat surprised. "I want names. Locations. Something other than vague descriptions that could be used to describe any friendly store owner on numerous planets." Kyle smirked, and patted the gang leader on the cheek with the flat of the dagger's blade. "Think you could hook me up with information like that?" She paused, as the young man shook, and shrugged, before rearing back theatrically, the pose very obviously one that implied she was about to stab him.

"Nononono! Old Henry!" The leader shouted.

"Old Henry?" Kyle asked, dagger still held aloft, ready to strike.

Nodding, the youth glanced around. "I'm not supposed to tell anyone I know, but he's... he's one of them. A transporter."

"A smuggler," Kyle replied, to which she got a shaky nod.

"Yeah, whatever. He's over in Cathedral Square. But I didn't tell you that... Please! That's all I know! I promise!"

Kyle paused, as if thinking it over, before shrugging, and sheathing the dagger back under her belt. "And so it is." Stepping back, she reached up, brushing some imaginary dust from the leader's shoulder, before slapping his bicep harshly and grinning. "And hey, I'll even give you an excuse if anyone asks what happened!"

"An... excuse?" the unsettled leader asked, confused. Still smiling, Kyle buried her fist in his stomach, the thin tunic offering no protection whatsoever to the sucker punch that put him on the ground, curled up with his hands holding his suddenly-upset stomach.

"What was that for!?" He asked, groaning, tears streaming from his eyes.

Turning to go, Kyle didn't bother answering as she looked back over at the gang that had tried to intimidate her into giving up some of her money, and couldn't help but hope they'd learned their lesson.

Unmolested the rest of her way, Kyle crossed one of the myriad bridges that connected the smaller sub-zones of Stormwind, taking a moment to glance at the small fish swimming in the city's canals. Back on Earth, any city designed like Stormwind would kill the fish used to stock the man-made canals in a matter of days. Litter, chemical runoff, and god-knows what-else would make the water a stinking, polluted health hazard within a year, if not weeks.

Kyle wasn't sure if Azeroth's human population was cleaner, or if they were maybe using magic in a subtle way to ensure things stayed clean, but she secretly enjoyed the change of pace. Or maybe Jaessica, who'd grown up in the forests of Ashenvale, was imposing her druid-o-centric society's views upon him while he wore her body... frowning at the way that train of thoughts had derailed, Kyle turned away from the fish, and hurried on towards Cathedral Square, where the grand Cathedral of Light rose above the skyline, dwarfing everything but Stormwind Keep itself within the city.

Cathedral Square was bright, the small fountain in the center burbling softly as water cascaded down its tiers, and paladins, priests, and citizens all wandered around on their errands for the day. Into that crowd stepped Kyle, and suddenly the friendly conversation around the entrance from the canals died down.

With a wince, Kyle pressed forward, wondering if the lull had been caused by his current race, sex, or profession. Probably all three. Doing his best to ignore the sudden stares, Kyle quickly made her way through the crowd towards the alley behind the orphanage.

Unfortunately, Matt had apparently beaten her to it. Though his way of information extraction was somewhat... different than Kyle had expected.

"-and they'll continue singing it forever just because this is this song that never ends-"

Kyle watched the half-High-elf-half-Human sing badly off-key, with a mug of _something_ in one hand and his other arm around her target, swaying to the beat.

"Okay! Stop! I've had enough! I'll talk! Anything to get you to stop singing that damnable song! And I use the term 'singing' losely..."

"Just what we wanted to hear," Kyle said, pulling one of her daggers free as Old Henry turned to look at her in surprise, and then fear.

Xxxxx

"Well... they're certainly ambitious," Kyle muttered, staring across the blackened fields of ash towards the towering mountain in the distance.

Old Henry, after being properly motivated, had divulged a lot more than they had expected. None of it truly important save the location of their base of operations: The Aerie of Blackrock Mountain, Blackwing Lair.

A quick, nauseating trip via gryphon to Morgan's Vigil, and here they were, staring at the sharply-rising peak, surrounded by lakes of lava.

"You know, we should be somewhat grateful, I suppose," Kyle added, after a moment's silence.

"Why's that?" Matt asked.

"Well, if this were Vanilla Wow, we'd be looking at a fight against numerous black dragons, and the son of Deathwing himself, Nefarion. At this point in time, however, he should be dead."

"That's good?"

"..." Glancing at the moving shapes in the distance, Kyle shrugged. "Better than having to hire forty people to form a raid group and try to take him down." With that, she set off towards the mountain, Matt following closely behind.

Despite the lack of random monsters in the area, aside from those spotted at a distance, the only indication this area had been teeming with vicious ogres, orcs and dark iron dwarves were the odd, charred skeletons that dotted the landscape. Most hand been scavenged for gear or meat, but the occasional helmet or broken sword testified to the battles that had taken place here. It was rather disconcerting, but the lack of a welcoming atmosphere made this place the perfect hideout for the kind of bandit scum they were currently after.

A crunch on gravel and ash was the only warning Kyle had, starting to move to the side before a heavy body slammed into her back with enough force to send her and her invisible assailant sprawling.

Matt turned at the noise, and scowled as he spotted Kyle being choked by an unknown elf. A blood elf, even, after catching a glimpse of the green glow in the elf's eyes. Before he could free his greatsword, however, Kyle elbowed the elf hard, and used its suddenly-loosened grip to reach up, grab the elf by his hair, and toss him over her shoulder.

"You_ asshat_!" Kyle growled, her voice hoarse, a moment before she brought her fist down in a hammer blow into the elf's stomach.

Her assailant curled up after that, his face turning an interesting shade of green (which didn't quite match his eyes) And Kyle stood up, stepping back and pulling a dagger free in case he tried anything else.

"What the hell was that for?" She asked, as the floored elf tried to keep his lunch down.

"You'll get nothing from me, Gold Farmer scum!" he spat back weakly.

Matt's face lit with understanding. "Ah! Classic case of the heroes mistaken for the bad guys. Happens all the time." He smiled down at the blood elf as he offered a hand to help the man up. "Hope she didn't hurt you too badly, Kyle doesn't like being startled."

The elf swatted the proffered hand away. "As if I'd accept help from you! Our kingdom destroyed, and you and your ilk hide within Stormwind while our people suffered and died by the thousands! No surprise one of _you_ would join the Gold Farmers," the elf hissed.

"Hey! We're not gold farmers, pretty boy! We actually have a pretty bad relationship with them at the moment."

"Yeah. The last two we met died," Matt added. He purposefully left out the fact that they hadn't been the ones to kill them.

"Actually, if you count sleeping-through-their-kidnapping as a 'meeting,' the last ones we met kidnapped Serenity," Kyle stated, plainly.

"That's not a meeting!" Matt snapped back. "That's just proximity!"

"So? When a king or president or something stands close to you, you can say you met him, even if you didn't exchange names and shake hands."

"Puh-leeze. You're comparing Gold Farmers to a Head of State? That's like telling someone it's an honor to meet their mole hairs."

"...umm... excuse me..." the blood elf said, wondering what had happened to get these two arguing about something so... lame.

"SHUT UP!" Kyle and Matt yelled at him simultaneously.

"...o-kay..." The blood elf replied, turning to the gold farmers standing nearby and wishing he could vanish like his mentor.

"Look," Kyle said. "It's not a matter of proximity or social status. In the... end... when did all these people get here?"

Matt turned to look, and blinked in surprise at the three men standing around them in a loose circle.

Two of them were, by their armor, warriors, while a third robed figure had a blue creature beside him that looked sort of like the genie from Aladdin, a voidwalker, clearly marking him as a Warlock.

"Well, what have we here?" The warlock asked, rhetorically. "Lost adventurers?"

"Not likely... those two are friends of the leader's current guest... they were told to stay away."

"And the magekiller?"

"A friend of theirs? Who knows. They're obviously arguing about something... Enough to let us sneak up on them. What a pathetic pair of rogues," one of the armed warriors sneered.

"Hey!" Kyle interrupted. "I'll have you know I'm quite skilled."

"Oh really?" the other warrior asked, clearly skeptical.

"Really. I just didn't bother being subtle because I knew this would work faster."

The three looked confused. "What would work faster?"

Kyle just scowled, ignoring Matt and the blood elf's looks of confusion. "Stop repeating what I say and pay attention. Here' I'll draw it out for you." So saying, she crouched in the ash and drew a few dots and crosses in the sand, then added a box, a triangle, and a stick figure. "See?"

Nobody saw. With a sigh, Kyle scooted to the side and waved them around. "Try from _this _angle..."

As they scuffled around the diagram, curious, Kyle grinned nastily. "Gotcha," she whispered to herself, a moment before throwing a handful of dirt and ash into the faces of two of the Gold Farmers.

As the third reacted, Matt, suddenly realizing what Kyle had been doing, pulled his sword free and swung, catching the third on the head with the flat of his blade as his attention was on the rogue who'd blinded his compatriots.

Before the blinded two could get the grit out of their eyes, Kyle had put the warlock in a rather painful looking headlock, while the blood elf did his best to slice the vision-impaired warrior to pieces.

Lacking an opponent, Matt shouted "By the light of Elune!" and swung at the startled voidwalker who was getting ready to defend its master. His sword glowed brightly as the blade bit deeply into the middle of ethereal darkness, causing the creature no small amount of pain. It took a swing at him that was mostly deflected off his armor, but managed to injure him slightly none-the-less.

"Release!" Matt commanded, and he felt the spell on his blade grow exponentially in power before finally exploding outward in a sudden burst of holy magic. It shredded the demon and dispelled its tenuous hold on the mortal coil, sending it back into the ether where it came from.

In the end, there were two unconscious Farmers, and one dead, slowly bleeding out onto the desert floor.

"Well... that's one way to do it, I guess," Kyle mumbled, staring at the gaping wound on the dead warrior's throat. Looking down at the dagger in her hand, she sighed, realizing that she would probably be putting the bladed edge to use soon enough.

A cough drew the attention of both otherworlders to the blood elf. "...I am prepared to believe you do not like Gold Farmers," he said finally.

Kyle just rolled her eyes. "Funny, how that works," she mumbled to Matt as she began tying the unconscious Farmers up. Actually, she tied one up. They didn't quite have enough rope for two, so they opted to tie up the surviving warrior while trying to figure out what to do with the spellcaster. After a quick debate in which the blood elf offered to finish the warlock off, Kyle shrugged, and turned to look at the sleeping body thoughtfully for a minute.

"Oh, hey! Look over there!" Kyle suddenly exclaimed, pointing.

Matt and the blood elf turned to look and saw nothing; there was, however, a muted crack, and all of a sudden the warlock was conscious. Conscious and screaming as he rolled around holding a clearly broken leg.

"Aww, looks like he can't follow us that well, now. Too bad." Kyle said, not sounding sympathetic in the least. People intending to kill you (at best) weren't likely recipients of sympathy.

"True, but this is a warlock, don't you think-" Matt started to say, before there was a wet pop, and suddenly more screaming.

Looking over, the two displaced earthlings saw the blood elf standing over the warlock with one arm twisted to the point that it had been dislocated at the shoulder.

"...nevermind." Matt shrugged. "I suppose that'll stop him from casting."

"Oddly enough, that was rather satisfying," the rogue said, reaching down for the other arm with a grin. The warlock quickly passed out again from the pain.

"So, do we question them?" Kyle asked as she surveyed the unconscious bodies with a contemplative look in her eyes.

"Here, let me do it." Matt moved over to the warrior who was still unconscious, raised the head, and took a firm grip on his mouth. "Who are you and what are you doing here!?" he said sternly, then moved the Farmer's lips up and down in time with his next words, which he spoke with a falsetto voice. "'I'm a bad man and deserve to be robbed blind.'" Matt dropped him unceremoniously and started going through his pockets. "Seems like he's telling the truth to me."

Kyle rolled her eyes. "Whatever. He's tied up. Lets hang him from a tree."

"What!? He's unconscious!" Matt objected.

"I don't mean kill him. Just string him up by his waist. Like a pinata."

"Oh." Matt deflated. "Can't we doodle on his face first?"

Kyle made a show of patting down her leather armor. "I seem to have left my magic markers in my other body's pants."

Matt paused and mouthed 'my other body's pants' to himself, before being struck with an idea. "Ooh, we should leave a note that says if you beat him with a stick, candy falls out!"

"Too bad we don't have any real candy on us. Be funny if the first whack actually did-"

"What's_ wrong_ with the two of you?" The blood elf shouted, interrupting the two as they bantered. Then he frowned. "You two aren't... together, are you?"

He cowered in fear at the glare Kyle gave him, the sudden murderous intent radiating off of her so thick it actually distorted the air around her. This was tempered only very slightly by Matt's sudden, howling laughter. "I get it, I get it, you're single! Touchy subject?"

"You... you have _no_ idea," Matt said.

"That's okay. The name's Dax. Thrall sent me out here to scout out these Gold Farmers and eliminate them if I felt I could. Obviously, he's unaware of how deep their corruption runs." Looking at the two alliance fighters, he nodded. "I think you two would make... interesting allies for this quest... though your usefulness is somewhat questionable." He turned his gaze to Kyle, sweeping his eyes over her before smirking. "By the way, seeing anybody?"

Kyle walked away after braining Dax with the butt of her dagger.

"That is _also_ a touchy subject," Matt stage-whispered as the Blood Elf tried to get his bearings from the ground.

Shakily climbing to his feet, Dax stared after the receding form of the Night Elf rogue thoughtfully. "Well.. you know what they say about violent night elf women..." he supplied as slyly as he could. Before Matt could respond, he jogged on ahead, hoping to catch up.

Matt rolled his eyes, but otherwise remained silent. This guy looked like the type that had to learn from experience. He winced when, as Dax finally caught up, Kyle sucker-punched him in the kidneys and started moving at an even faster pace than before. Dax did not seem deterred in the least.

It did not appear that Dax was a quick study, Matt thought, and his opinion of the elf's survival abilities dropped a few notches. "Maybe he'll eventually learn this isn't your typical night elf?" he asked himself rhetorically.

Matt grimaced as another advance was rebuffed in a violent but efficient manner, and shook his head.

"Nah."

* * *

And another chapter down. A lot of stuff happened, and now I'm buying a new car. But that doesn't really have anything to do with this story.


	10. Chapter 9

"You're quite the defiant little one, aren't you? It is no matter. You _will_ break, because I will break you, just like all the ones who came before you, and all the ones who will come after. And... I... I see... ohh, yes. Now I see, indeed. Well, we can't have that, now can we?"

"What are you..? No! NOOOO!"

* * *

Blackwing Lair was dark. Blackwing Lair was hot. And Blackwing Lair stank like something long dead was slowly decaying.

"Oh, damn. Am I glad _he's_ not moving," Dax said, staring at the bones of some oversized dragon. Around the room lay skeletons of orcs and smaller dragon-creatures, as well as what looked like the crushed remains of numerous oversized eggs.

Kyle couldn't help but chuckle as she picked up one of the shattered shells. "No wonder black dragons are so bitchy. If they laid big-ass spiny eggs like this all the time, I can only imagine how they'd take it out on the little bastards that hatch."

"You mean..." Matt asked, not really paying attention.

"Yup." Kyle nodded. "They got no love from their mothers."

"You two do realize we're _in_ the lair of a black dragon, surrounded by the bones of those you mock, right?" Dax asked warily.

Kyle snorted. "What's he going to do, haunt me? He's dead. And this time, no server reset is bringing this bad boy back." Crouching down before the scarred skull of the dragon, Kyle smirked and patted the skull between the eyes. "You failed to protect the eggs, Razorgore. Better a team of adventurers bring you low than what you'd receive reporting your failures to your boss."

"You _knew_ this beast?" Dax asks in shock.

"Kid, you ain't seen nothing, yet."

"I know." Dax took a moment to leer purposefully at Kyle's chest, before settling back into a more serious demeanor. "But that doesn't explain how you were on a first-name basis with a black dragon."

Kyle straightened up and pointed at the doorway in the back of the room. "Through that door lies Vael, corrupted red dragon who earlier in his life helped adventurers in the orc-infested spire below. Further we'll find.. more dead... It was a pretty hellish run, back in the day."

Dax digested this bit of information. "O-kay." He turned to Matt and whispered, "she's a spy for the alliance, isn't she? Been here before, watched it all go down, helped with the scouting?" Dax nodded to himself, convinced one mystery was solved. He gave Matt a wink and nudge on his plate armor, "I'd like to get my hands on her secrets, if you know what I mean."

"If you got your hands on my secrets, I'd take you hands off your arms," Kyle muttered, before heading through the door in the back.

"She's been here many time before, yes," Matt admitted reluctantly. "Though not in the way you think. Why do you antagonize her so much, anyway?"

"Because it's fun?" Dax grinned. "And I don't particularly care for either of you, so it makes me laugh if she gets angry. Plus? She's hot when she's mad."

"Well, I suppose that's at least an honest answer."

"I can _still_ hear you two!" Kyle shouted from the next room. "Get a move on!"

Dax moved towards the door with the grin still plastered on his face. "Aww, don't get impatient babe, I know you're eager to form the dragon with two backs. Your stud-muffin is coming!"

There was a muffled thud, followed by a soul-rending shriek of agony from the other room. When Matt passed through the doorway, he found Dax curled up in a fetal ball on the ground, a small puddle of vomit nearby, and the blood elf rolling around crying, holding his crotch.

Matt crouched down next to the weeping man. "Well? Was it worth it?"

Dax shook his head no.

"Then stop griefing our party and get your head back into the mission. We've got a dungeon to raid." Despite Dax's protests, Matt hauled the elf onto his feet and shoved him deeper into the lair.

He was remarkably well-behaved after that.

---- MEANWHILE, A FEW FLOORS ABOVE ----

"IDIOTS! FOOLS! IMBECILES!" the figure on the crumbling throne shouted at the figures scurrying around the room, "You came running HERE to alert me, leaving the door wide open for them?"

While the few beings below him cowered and quailed in terror, the leader of the Gold Farmers turned towards a chained figure on the wall, smirking to himself at her listless gaze and forlorn appearance. "They come to rescue you, my pet. To what end, I don't care, as they will die, and you shall see that none can oppose the Gold Farmers of Azeroth!"

"You... killed her..." Serenity mumbled.

"Oh, relax. I'm sure you'll be back in that state soon enough."

"You... you..." Serenity was at a loss for words. The grief, pain, resentment, and self-hatred she felt bubbled up within her, and she fought it as best she could, before glaring at her captor. "They will kill you. And I will do nothing to intervene. No matter how precious life may be, yours is forfeit. I promise."

He laughed at her. "Ha! Still some spirit, yet! Stronger than you have threatened me so, yet here I am, and where are they now?" He pointed at a pile of bones in the corner, various tattered bits of armor still clinging to them.

* * *

The party of three passed the bones of Vael, Dax stopping to inspect them before Kyle dragged them further into the labyrinthine lair. Finally, passing a room full of small nests and odd mechanical devises that appeared disabled, they spotted a pair of guards ahead, protecting a dark room.

"Broodlord Lashlayer used to guard that door... If I had to guess, I'd say beyond this point, we'll be fighting gold farmers."

"With no healer?" Matt asked. While normally paladins could put their in-game talents towards healing, it didn't feel like Tannim had done so, instead going towards dealing more damage. And while he could in fact cast a few healing spells, it was no substitute for a dedicated healer.

Kyle frowned. "Looks that way. Considering how our fight outside went, I think we should be okay... if we're sneaky. Dax, take the guard on the left, I'll take the one on the right. Matt, give us a few seconds to get close, then draw their attention."

"Yay. Decoy drone yet again. I have a feeling this is going to be a recurring theme with us."

Briefly letting Jae's memories take over, Kyle felt something like a veil of cloth fall over her, and to Matt's eyes, she disappeared. Almost. There, where she had stood, was a blur, a slight waver in the air, and if he frowned, he could make out Kyle's features, but only because he was aware of where she had been, and where she was. Even as he thought about it, Kyle started to move, and she slid out from under his gaze.

Dax, however, was feeling argumentative. "I want the one on the right!" he hissed, disappearing as well and moving towards his proclaimed target.

Rolling her eyes, Kyle veered to the left, feeling her movement somewhat hindered, as if she was moving under water. Still, in what felt like no time at all, she made it to her target, and moved behind the unsuspecting guard, before glancing over to where Dax should be.

With the two rogues in position and waiting to strike, Matt boldly walked forward towards the guards as if he owned the place, weapon out and resting on his shoulder. The clanking of his armor alerted the guards of his presence long before they saw him, so they had ample time to draw their swords. They relaxed a little when Matt made no threatening motions towards them, but didn't put away their weapons.

"Who goes there?" one asked.

Matt grinned. "Have either of you heard of the benefits of serving Elune? I know she's an elven goddess, but I really think you should really hear me out-"

"NOW!" The Blood Elf shouted, appearing from nowhere even as his daggers slid into the guard's back between the ribs.

Kyle grimaced, before slipping her arm around the guard's neck and tightening her grip. Even as she felt the veil of stealth slip away, she was moving, a sharp twist ending the guard's life, even as a gasp of surprise started to slip through his lips.

As Kyle's target slipped to the floor bonelessly, Dax's twitched and weakly struggled, even as his blood pooled on the floor around him. His mouth moved silently, blood dripping from pale lips, and finally, after steadily slowing, the second guard went still.

"That was just as disturbing as last time," Kyle muttered, doing her best to scoot out of the way of the spreading puddle beneath the body.

"And that's the second time you've let someone live," Dax replied.

Kyle blinked. "Umm... he's dead," she said, pointing at the body she'd created.

Then she ran over to the ledge overlooking the room below and emptied her stomach.

"What's wrong?" Matt asked, concerned.

Turning to look at the body, Kyle shuddered, then turned away again. "I was hoping I could be more nonchalant about it, is all... Not quite so easy." Suppressing another shudder, Kyle straightened up. "There will be more ahead. It should get easier... in time."

Dax scratched his head. "I don't know who trained you, but it never gets easier. You just learn to accept it and move on."

Looking at the concerned rogue with a a little surprise, and even some respect, Kyle nodded. "I see. Well then, He was a bad guy, in my way, who helped those who kidnapped Serenity..."

"You did what you had to, Kyle," Matt said gently.

Kyle just nodded, before moving towards the door. "Lets just... get this done."

The next room, however, gave Kyle pause. Where before, there had been goblins and drakes and odd chemistry devices, the walls and alcoves were jammed with weapons racks, sleeping cots, and a series of portals through which they could see a number of cities, both Horde and Alliance.

Fortunately, there was hardly anyone around a few sleeping Gold Farmers occupying the beds, while a couple of children, one human, one blood elf, wearing manacles crouched, scrubbing the floor and not looking up as they passed.

"Slaves," Dax hissed, watching the two children work for a moment before making his way towards the weapons rack.

"Anything good?" Kyle whispered, even as she shifted through the collection of wood and steel meant to maim, dismember, and kill. Most of it looked fairly generic, however, and with a shrug, Dax moved on towards the next one, then the next, with increasing disdain, before turning away in disgust.

"You'd think a group like this could afford more than the standard crap they hand out to voluntary militias," he muttered, before turning towards the back of the room.

Following his gaze, Kyle and Matt saw a ramp leading up and around a corner.

"What's up there?" Matt wondered aloud.

"Well, there were three drakes in here, before. Now? Who knows," Kyle replied, looking at the sleeping Gold Farmers with a scowl. "Unsporting though it may be, I don't like the thought of any of those guys sneaking up behind us... and we only have so much rope."

Dax nodded, pulling one of his daggers. "Quietly, Dax," Kyle whispered, even as she made her way towards another sleeping figure.

"If I was a dungeons and dragons paladin I'd have to stop them," Matt muttered to himself.　 "Luckily, Tannim hates slavers as much as I do. They'll get no mercy from me." Matt took up over-watch position, covering the exits best he could in case anyone woke up and tried to run. He knew it would be pointless to try to sneak around in his heavy armor.

Kyle briefly stopped to tell the slaves to leave, quietly, before pausing to look down at the sleeping figure. Behind him, he heard a muted squelch from where Dax had gone, and winced, even as she raised a dagger over her head.

With a sigh, she let it fall to her side, looking around before turning it around and swinging the butt of it at the Gold Farmer's temple. At least, that's where she aimed. Apparently not sleeping quite so deeply as the others, the Golf Farmer snapped up his arm to deflect the blow, his eyes snapping open to grin at Kyle.

"Word of advice: don't hesitate!" Before she could move, the Farmer had rolled out of bed and was on his feet, hands up and ready to fight. Kyle took a step back, shocked, before crouching as well, knife still held pommel up.

"An interesting choice," the Farmer muttered, before trying to punch the thief. Kyle dodged wildly, and only Jae's training allowed her to avoid the following punch. Then everything started to blur, the two of them trading blows as Kyle watched from within Jae. At first, he was awed at the way she moved, but her training, as underhanded though it may have been, missed some fairly obvious openings the Gold Farmer left undefended during his attacks.

Finally, frustrated at the way they seemed so evenly matched, Kyle took control, feeling the agility and sureness in her limbs disappear as the Gold Farmer pressed his apparent advantage. Which was when Kyle struck. Rushing him as he tried to punch, and getting inside his guard, the outer edge of Kyle's hand flashed out, a wet crunch filling the room, and suddenly the gold farmer was on the floor, kicking and writhing wildly as he clutched his ruined throat.

"What was that?" Dax asked, watching the twitching body slow. He'd not seen what she had done, but was impressed with the results.

"Looks like she collapsed the larynx," Matt offered. At Dax's confused look, he elaborated, "She crushed his voicebox."

"Throat. Groin. Eyes. Knees." Kyle replied with a shrug. "Weak points in all humans... and humanoids. I tend to focus on the throat, but all of them work wonders when incapacitating, debilitating, or, if necessary, terminating."

Without elaborating further, Kyle turned and headed up the ramp, leaving Dax to look at Matt questioningly.

Matt looked towards Kyle's retreating form. "She mentioned she was in the army. I suppose this is training from that experience." Dax took that explanation at face value, and didn't question it further.

Ahead, the room continued on, more cots and racks adorning the alcoves, except for the last one, which was gated off and guarded. Frowning at the guards, who would have to be taken care of, Kyle felt herself go into stealth, before moving forward. Most of the beds were empty, the racks nearby empty of weapons and items. One figure, however, lie on a bed, coughing fitfully and visibly shivering despite the heat in the room.

"Well, that's one we'll not have to worry about much," Kyle muttered, turning to look at the guards, and whatever it was behind them. Then she blinked. Beyond the guards, resting on wooden mannequins, were rows and rows of armor, each one within a bubble of blue magic that shimmered in the faint light of the torches around the room.

Spying the red and black leather outfit she'd coveted back in classic WoW, Kyle felt a smirk grace her face, even as she turned to look at the guards in her way.

"Hmm..." Pulling a dagger free, she turned it around again, running her hand over the blunt end of the handle and wondering if the game was at all relevant here. "Only one way to find out," she muttered, before moving around one guard and letting him have it with the hardest swing she could build up in the stealth-induced slowness.

With a groan, the guard fell to the floor, alerting the other guard that something was up, even as Kyle backed away slowly, still in stealth.

Drawing his sword, the guard looked around the room warily, before moving over to his fallen companion. "Zinnersnip! Get up! What's wrong with you?" He poked his companion with his sword, eliciting no response. Before he could check further, however, he felt an arm snake around his neck, and a feminine voice whisper "goodnight," in his ear.

Kyle held on as the man struggled, his sword arm unable to get the blade moving fast enough to bite past the thick leather, and too close to put the sharp point to use. Of course, with the pressure she was applying, he didn't have that long, and she felt herself smile as his movement became lethargic, the sword clattering to the floor as he weakly tried to pull her arm loose. Finally, he collapsed to his knees, and she held on for a few moments after he stilled just to be sure. When she let him go, she glanced at him and grimaced.

Apparently, she'd held him too tight, and the capillaries in his face had burst, leaving red splotches on his nose, cheeks and forehead.

"Impressive," Dax muttered, fading into view nearby.

"Not really. That won't last lon-" Kyle winced as Dax put his dagger to use, ending the two guards' lives just as easily as he had earlier.

"Doesn't get easier?" she asked with a frown.

"Knowing those two wont be coming after me tonight, or tomorrow, or next month or year? It had to be done. Reports from the Horde back me up. It's messy work... but it needed to be done."

Without saying more, Dax stepped into the room beyond the guards bodies and whistled appreciatively.

"My thoughts exactly," Kyle replied, stepping forward to stand before the Bloodfang Armor set. Dax watched her for a moment, enjoying the view as she shifted from foot to foot before the armor, and glad her attention was so caught by the armor that she didn't notice his gaze.

Finally, Kyle turned, causing Dax to turn his head so quickly he almost lost his balance. "What do you think, preservative or security?"

"What, the spells? Probably security. This is a rather expensive collection... I'm surprised they don't outfit their people with these," Dax replied.

"You don't give mooks good gear. That just supplies the enemy," Kyle replied.

"Judgment Armor, right? You showed me a picture of this. Yeah, the robe is a bit like a dress, but I have admit this hood is simply bad-ass. Not to mention the daggers ornamenting the shoulders! That and the red, gold and black color scheme is choice." Kyle looked over and saw that Matt was already putting on the finishing touches of his new, vastly superior armor. The old set was sitting in a half-hazard pile next to him, and as he put on the hood a pair of glowing white eyes sprang into existence to complete the effect.

The paladin turned to his companions and asked, "Be honest: does this robe make me look fat?"

Unable to resist, Kyle buried her face in her hands with a heavy sigh. Then she began pulling the armor off the mannequins, before pulling it on as quickly as she could get the generic leather gear she was wearing off.

After pulling on the black-and-red pants, she turned to the stunned Dax, who was staring at her with wide eyes. "Quit staring and change, unless you don't think this gear is an improvement!"

"I... I don't..." Dax started to say, before a mannequin slammed into him, some of the leather armor on it falling to the floor at his feet.

As he tried to change and watch Kyle, he managed to get both legs into one leg of armor and fell painfully onto his face. While that was going on, Kyle quickly switched leather chest pieces, enjoying the improved flexibility even as she slid on the bracers and gloves and admired the way she could move her fingers and hands as if there was nothing on them at all.

Finally, she pulled on the hood, frowning as she fed her ears through the openings provided, and grinning as she felt her face disappear into the shadow the design granted her.

"Oh, now this... this is something else," Kyle said, flexing her hands and looking at them.

Dax finally got his own armor on, grumbling about how he had missed the best part, and finally, the three stepped out of the armory, feeling a little more confident than before.

"It's too bad we can't get some worthwhile weapons. I remember that some good ones were found here, but it's unlikely we'll come across any of the originals."

"I think this is a pretty good find itself," Dax replied.

Kyle shrugged. "True. We've got one big room full of weird grinder things on the walls.. the Chromaguss' Lair, then Neltharion's throne room. Want to bet the leader of these Gold Farmers is in there?"

"My life for Auir! Wait, right company, wrong game..." Matt muttered to himself. "I'm going to need a proper battlecry if we're going to be doing this right. Spoon? Nah..."

As they made their way further in, Kyle paused in shock. Unlike the piles of bones seen earlier, the corpse of Chromaggus lay where it had fallen, not looking as if any time had gone by at all. The deadly wounds that had brought the two-headed dragon/dog low still leaked fluids, and its dull eyes stared at them in silent, unending accusation.

"Why isn't it decaying?" Dax asked, poking the corpse with his dagger tentatively.

"I would imagine Nefarion's tinkering with the Bronze Dragonflight caused this... it's like he's frozen in time, at the exact moment of his death," Kyle replied, wondering whether or not Nozdormu, the keeper of time and leader of the bronze dragonflight would care that the blood of his brood had been used to create this abomination; and how it affected it still. Probably not. Turning to look at the raised portcullis, Kyle nodded towards it. "Through there is where we'll probably find the leader of the Gold Farmers."

Kyle turned to look at Matt, finally catching the paladin's attention after a few more moments of internal deliberation.

"Aha! I've got one!" Matt nodded happily to himself. "I'm ready when you are."

Kyle motioned towards the door. "By all means."

Matt drew his sword and muttered blessings over his, Kyle's, and Dax's weapons. They all glowed softly with a faint hue, and the two rogues stepped back, Kyle disappearing into invisibility. Before fading, Dax glanced back the way they had come, scowling a moment before slipping into stealth alongside the night elf.

Through the oversized entrance Matt strode, armor glinting in the evening light as it streamed in through one open side of the chamber. The glint, however, was diminished somewhat by the unnaturally large piles of gold coating the floor across from the opening in veritable mountains of gold coin.

With the opening on one side, and the gold on the other, there existed a corridor down the length of the chamber from the entrance that lead up to an impressive stone throne.

And on that throne sat a man... a human; and one that was unsettlingly familiar to Kyle.

Dax, ignoring the figure, focused his attention on the twelve or so guards and gold farmers stationed around the room, some looking forward to the one-sided assault on the trespassers, others looking warily at Matt and obviously unaccustomed to combat.

Not one to waste a perfectly good battlecry despite already holding everyone's attention, Matt bellowed, "LEEEEROOOOOOOOOY JEEEEEEEENKIIIIIIIINS!" as he charged the surprised group, seemingly alone in his mad rush against what appeared to be a superior force. After a few moments the people who looked like they knew how to fight unsheathed their weapons with a knowing smirk and prepared to engage the interloper.

"News flash! You're standing on holy ground! Consecration!" Cracks formed in the floor where holy magic sprang up from the stone floor and spread out in a circle roughly seven feet in all directions. This severely annoyed the people immediately surrounding Matt by causing them slight pain, but otherwise did not do much damage. It did its job, though, by keeping the attention squarely on him.

Kyle watched Matt engage the crowd, and knew the odds were definitely stacked against them. As the paladin was surrounded, Kyle made her way to the throne, enjoying the way the shadows hid her presence, until she reappeared beside the leader of the Gold farmers, dagger held against his throat.

"Stay your blades!" She called, hoping that was the right thing to say at a critical juncture such as this.

"How sad," the leader said with a slight sigh.

Kyle blinked. That wasn't how it was supposed to go. "Excuse me?"

The leader turned his head to look at Kyle, and suddenly the dagger in her hand went flying, Dax appearing with his foot out, having just kicked it from her hands. "Did you really think..." the leader elaborated, Dax taking up a position behind him, "_honestly believe_, that I would just let you _waltz_ in here, uncontested?"

Kyle frowned, even as she felt the tip of a sword at her back. "Umm... we didn't get in here uncontested. And I take it Dax is yours? He killed a few of your men."

The Leader shrugged, turning to Dax. Dax nodded. "It's true. They were inattentive and weak. Better off dead than guarding something potentially valuable."

Kyle scowled at the by-play, before crossing her arms defiantly. "So... who are you? You look just like _him_, but he's dead."

"Your knowledge of human history is quite good, if you recognize me. I chose this face to mock his memory, honestly. He failed in his task, and as I was always referred to as his lesser, I felt it only fitting," the smiling face of Victor Nefarius said.

Kyle nodded. "You took his lair for your own devices... is it safe to assume more Gold Farmers can be found in Onyxia's Lair, as well? The Lady Prestor may be dead, but surely you've not put all your eggs in one basket." Kyle glanced at the piles of gold, before shrugging. "So to speak," she amended.

"Oh, _very good_, little mortal. I shall have to tear all you know from your little purple skull before I finish you off."

"Oi! Piss-for-brains. Forgetting someone?" Matt waved his sword for effect.

Dax sneered. "He knows nothing. A high-elven paladin of Elune. This night elf is the brains."

The being disguised as the previous lord of Blackrock Mountain frowned. "And yet, they come all this way for a third... one whose bearing is even more regal that this one is self-assured," he replied, waving a hand at Kyle.

"Whatever she may be, your plans are too far-reaching for any of these to interfere. Best to do away with them," Dax hissed.

"Remember your place, Dax. This one has knowledge. And I will see it become mine before she draws her last breath."

"Funny, Sartharion said something similar, right before he was ambushed in the Obsidian Sanctum."

The leader of the Gold Farmers drew back as if physically struck. "WHAT!?"

"Oh, yes. Below Wyrmrest Temple in the Dragonblight of Northrend, your brood's next great plan is already nothing more than a memory. But what can you expect from the addled minds of Deathwing the Deranged's demented brood."

"How dare you. HOW DARE YOU! The Black Dragonflight will **rule** this world, and all the lesser beings shall know their place, or die defending the lie that is their freedom!"

"Tell it to your brother, you half-witted lizard," Kyle replied, ignoring the hard poke in the back she got for that.

"..." The dragon in human-form opened his mouth to shout a response, before pausing. "You shall die. But only after watching all you hold dear to you suffer. BRING OUT THE WENCH!"

From behind a pile of gold, a pair of guards emerged, dragging a tattered and weakly-resisting figure between them. Kyle felt her face pale as she recognized it. "Oh, Goddess no... Serenity!"

With a wordless cry of unbridled fury, Matt charged towards the guards, breaking free of the circle of men previously surrounding him by sheer surprise. A few feet away from Serenity he lunged towards her, but another pair of guards barred his path with surprising strength, strength that was made understandable as their human forms twisted and stretched until a pair of Draconic centaur-like beings stood in his way. The other armed guards shifted form as well. Matt continued to struggle despite the change, to no avail.

The Leader chuckled. "Well well well, It seems we have a set: The heart of the group," he motioned towards Serenity, "the brains," he nodded at Kyle, before turning to smirk at the restrained Matt. "And the muscle."

Kyle ignored him. "Oh, Serenity... what did they _do_ to you?"

Serenity's red-rimmed eyes met Kyle's for a second, her mouth opening to say something, but before she could, she shuddered, eyes watering up again at the thought, and she felt her legs give out, the two guards holding her supporting her weight as she went limp in their arms.

Turning her gaze back to the Leader, Kyle's voice dropped a few octaves. "You. _You will die._"

The Leader laughed, the mirth echoed by the various dragons around the room. "Me? Die? I fear you're gravely mistaken. _Gravely_ mistaken, indeed." As he spoke, his voice grew deeper, even as his form wavered and stretched. Where before a human had stood, now there sat a huge black dragon, wings wide enough to span the room from entrance to throne, and reptilian yellow eyes the size of dinner plates focused on the night elf who stood in front of it before he continued.

"Know that your death was brought to you by Kcalbanihc of the Black Dragonflight, and all your useless gestures to stop me were for naught!"

Matt finally stopped struggling against his captors as an idea occurred to him. It wasn't a very good one, but just waiting around to die didn't sit well with him. "Um, hey, don't you want to explain your evil plan before you kill us?" 'And buy us a few more minutes to figure out how to defeat you?' he thought but didn't add. Though that was admittedly looking pretty hopeless at the moment.

The dragon rumbled. "I know _that_ trick, mortal. But I suppose there's no reason not to play with my food... even as I _play with my food._"

Kyle blinked, unsure what to make of that. "What?"

Instead of responding, Kyle suddenly felt the world around her twist, and a rather intense pain in her chest as the black dragon's tail slapped her hard enough to send her flying right out the side of the mountain.

"Ha! I love this game!" Kcalbanihc cried, diving out after her. "Look at this world, Mortals!"

Kyle was too busy trying not to pass out from the pain of multiple shattered ribs and impending death by 'sudden-stop-at-the-end' to appreciate the view. At least, she was, until a new pain flared up in her legs.

Kcalbanihc had caught her in his teeth, and now plowed through the air back towards his throne room, intent on prolonging her suffering. Spitting the elf out on the floor towards her friend, he continued. "Azeroth is divided by you petty mortals into ridiculous kingdoms and factions... and all of them desire one thing."

Groaning, Kyle tried to sit up, large holes in her left thigh making that difficult, even as the shattered ribs from earlier made it impossible.

"Can't have you bleeding out," Kcalbanihc muttered, before snorting and sending a jet of flame to cauterize the wounds. It was enough to make Kyle scream in anguish, even as she felt the world fade. Only to be pulled back by something hard poking her and making broken bones grind. "Don't die just yet, little one. Your friend asked what my plan was, and I can't have you dying until you hear it, now can I?"

With that, he pressed down on her foot, smiling toothily as he felt the bones shift, then creak, before snapping and sending her screaming in anguish again. "Ahh, that's better. I have your attention again, I hope? As I was saying, all those factions, all those insignificant mortals killing each other all seem so interested in this," he waved his hand at the piles of gold, "this useless metal."

He sat back, watching his captives as he continued. "From the earth they dug it up... it is only fitting that the brood of the Earth Warder give them exactly what they asked for."

"You... pay them?" Kyle asked between gasps. Nothing in Jae's memories could have prepared him for the beating she'd just taken, and Kyle's own memories had only one painful incident to draw from, which didn't hold a candle to the blaze of anguish this dragon had so casually dished out.

"Pay them? To kill each other? Of course not. They'll do that regardless of gold. Horde versus Alliance. Human versus Elf. Dwarf and Troll... without their beliefs, I bet even the allies would fight each other. Humans certainly did before the orcs came. No, I intend to do much worse."

Despite his distance, and the pair of dragons currently holding him fast, Matt did his level best to heal Kyle with what spells he could bring to mind. They apparently didn't care or notice, as no one made move to stop him. "Worse? What's worse than this?" he muttered darkly.

"Imagine all of this gold, spread to everyone, and each piece cursed to drive its holder into a bloodthirsty frenzy defeated only by death! Imagine children murdering their parents in their beds, parents turning on confused children and choking the life from them, friend slaying friend, strangers tearing others apart... and then suddenly realizing what they've done! The few unaffected will be left with no other choice than to put down those who were affected. And those who survive will take their own lives in grief."

The dragon chuckled. "Oh, it is far far beneath me to waste my time killing you stupid mortals by the cartload. So you can do it to yourselves, and then we, the dragons, _proper _rulers of Azeroth, can take back what is rightfully ours."

"Horrible," Serenity said, looking at him with eyes large with shock and revulsion. Despite her own turmoil, she couldn't help but fear the situation this beast had so casually described.

"How..." Kyle coughed, wincing at the blood that came with it, before continuing, "...how can you expect to curse..." her voice failed her, but Kcalbanihc got what she was trying to say. Or really, Dax did.

"Oh, that would be my part."

"You!?" Matt spat with obvious venom while still trying to treat Kyle's injuries. "Your part?!"

"Indeed. Who would suspect the magekiller, the _rogue_, to be a magician?"

"You... mage?" Kyle asked, incredulous.

"I'm sorry, did I fool you? Not that I didn't mean to, but it was a pretty good job, wasn't it?" Dax smiled at them, before shrugging. "You Mortals. So quick to believe your eyes."

"Another dragon?" Matt asked, frowning.

"Indeed! Daxglaucous, at your service!" Dax paused, before shrugging. "Or at his, at any rate."

"Blue," Kyle hissed.

"Indeed! Lord Malygos has had it with you lesser beings and your blatant disregard for the magics of the world. If Kcalbanihc can remove the majority of you from the equation, then it is my duty to assist him in whatever way possible!"

As the world grew dark, Kyle smiled softly. "Malygos... fails."

Incensed, the blue dragon in blood-elf form stepped forward, before stepping on Kyle's broken foot, drawing a blood-flecked scream from the wounded Night Elves' raw throat. "What do you mean by that, worm!"

Kyle's eyes narrowed as the blinding agony from her foot settled to a dull agony. "In the Eye of Eternity atop the Occulus, yes? Saphiron still..." Kyle shuddered, "still has a key. Malygos falls."

"That's... that's not possible!" Dax cried, though his pale features and furtive glances at nothing in particular gave Kyle's words far more credit than a simple dismissal would.

"The Life-Binder helps," Kyle said, with a small nod.

Dax howled, "NO! She cannot interfere!"

"Calm yourself, Mage. This little one cannot possibly know the future," Kcalbanihc said.

"Calm _yourself_, Black! I've got to report this to Lord Malygos at once! I will return to poison this gold, but this information must be brought to my master _now._"

"You cannot leave! Not now!" Kcalbanihc roared.

"I must!" Dax replied, making his way towards the edge of the room and transforming into an oversized blue drake.

"Kill them, Kcalbanihc. What they know..." Dax didn't bother to finish, merely pushing off with a flap of his scaly wings and disappearing.

"Well now," Kcalbanihc muttered, turning towards the two intruders, then at his earlier captive. "I had plans for you, but it seems you're all now too knowledgeable to use... you know what that means, don't you?" The question rather rhetorical, he brought his head down to look at Kyle, scaly lips pulled back to expose foot long teeth in a mouth big enough to fit a horse with room to spare.

Kyle just rolled her eyes and turned her head, suppressing the groan the motion caused. Matt's healing had actually started to help, but with that mouth her next destination, she wasn't in the mood for any more banter.

"Let them go!" A voice called out from the entrance, before a throwing blade sunk into the flesh of the dragon's neck with a meaty chunk Unfortunately, it was far too small to be anything but a minor annoyance to the fully-grown dragon.

"WHO DARES?" Kcalbanihc roared.

"I do, as does all of Stormwind, and the Alliance behind it." A man replied, his voice carrying without shouting.

"And who are you, to presume you speak for the Alliance, little man?"

"Mathais Shaw, of SI:7. I'll say this once: let them go, and you'll have enough time to try to escape before you're brought down, dragon," Shaw announced. The Leader of SI:7, Stormwind's network of spies and assassins, he wasn't willing to show fear to anything. At least, not to anything that could die.

"I see," Kcalbanihc said, nodding. "But... you seem to have forgotten something."

"And what is that, foul beast?" Mathias said, raising a brow inquisitively.

"An army with which you may _try_ to defeat me!" he shouted, rushing forward and spreading his jaws to finish the impudent human with one bite.

As he was about to reach his target however, something large and heavy slammed into his head from the direction of the window, a harsh shriek in his draconic ears even as sharp claws scratched at his scaly hide.

"WHAT?" he roared, turning to look. A gryphon, ridden by a dwarf, circled the room, and suddenly the room was full of figures, knights in armor streaming in through the entrance, as gryphons flew in through the open wall to deposit their riders.

"How DARE you! Insects!" Kcalbanihc cried, as a wave of fireballs impacted his thick flank.

Matt felt arms pulling him away from Kyle, and suddenly realized he was surrounded by robed figures wearing priestly garb and already going to work to heal his wounded friend. They were quickly relocated to the alcove behind the Throne, where Kyle's healing progressed rapidly.

Serenity, who had been dropped by her minders when the alliance forces had rushed the room, was lead over to them, and a pair of priests went to work on her as well.

"You seem to know quite a bit, young rogue." Kyle looked up into the stony eyes of Mathias Shaw, wincing slightly.

"It would seem, Mathias, that I merely knew enough."

The rogue leader matched her gaze for a moment, before barking out a quick laugh. "That you did!" There was a moment his smile lingered, before it faded. "You've wounds to heal, and I have a dragon to slay. But after, we must talk. The King should know what you know."

"And I suppose you should know, before him?" Kyle asked, grinning even as she felt bones shifting back into place.

Mathias nodded, pulling a pair of curved daggers from his belt. "Aye, you've the right of it," he said before leaving to join the fight.

After a moment of relative calm while Kcalbanihc was under attack, Kyle turned to look at Serenity, who, despite looking healed physically, was still an obvious emotional wreck.

"Oh, Serenity... what did they _do_ to you?" Matt asked, all traces of mirth in his voice gone.

"I... he..." Serenity paused, taking a ragged breath before closing her eyes. "I no longer have to fear for my little one... she's... she's been taken from me," Serenity explained, doing her best to sound professional. Despite that, however, her voice was shaky, and she cursed herself for showing such weakness before others, especially after what she'd seen Kyle go through.

"Oh, Serenity... highness... I'm so sorry," Kyle said, shocked. Usagi was... dead? What did that mean for the Silver Millennium?

Matt slammed the ground with his gauntleted fist. "Fuck!"

"I... No. After what you just went through, I'm not... I can't..." Serenity broke down, then, unable to contain herself anymore. Kyle, still somewhat broken inside, ignored the pain and the protests of the priests around her and pulled Serenity into a hug, suppressing a wince as every sob jostled broken bones slowly mending, and knowing that the pain was far more transitory than her distraught friend's.

The whisper of sword on stone alerted those in the immediate area of Matt rising to his feet.　 "Excuse me. I need to take care of something." He turned his back on the two women, and placed his focus squarely on the black dragon currently fighting for its life.

"**YOU **_**WILL**_** DIE!**"

The cry echoed through the hall even as Matt ran towards the beast. He chanted every damage-boosting, pain-inflicting spell Tannim's memories could supply him with, and when those failed he settled for severing the major tendon of Kcalbanihc's front left leg as he reached the creature

Without support where once he expected it, the black dragon fell onto his side, nearly crushing Matt and half a dozen attackers. They were all agile enough to escape the descending beast.

He struggled to stand again, despite his numerous wounds. Kcalbanihc muttered to himself in astonishment through the haze of pain. "What? This isn't... How is this...?"

"I'll _tell_ you!" Matt shouted as he ran towards where the head now lay. In his obvious rage other, more seasoned warriors stepped away from the fight to let the figure glowing with righteous fury pass. "You don't. Mess. With. **FAMILY!**" Matt punctuated his statement by reaching the head of Kcalbanihc's draconic form and stabbing him in the eye that was currently looking at him with surprise.

In his pain, Kcalbanihc lifted his head from the ground, taking Matt and his sword with him. The weapon dug deeper into the soft flesh near his brain as the paladin stubbornly hung on, attempting with every fiber of his being to angle the sword just right for the killing blow.　 Something struck a nerve, and a final toss of Kcalbanihc's head threw both man and weapon from the dragon. The dragon fell back down to the ground with a heavy crashing of scale on stone, and did not rise.

Matt's brief moment through the air terminated when he impacted the far wall and was accompanied by a pained grunt. He fell to the floor in a heap. As the world spun and grew dark around him, Matt shot the convulsing form across the room a final glare, and muttered "...too quick a death for that one..." before letting the darkness engulf him.

* * *

Author's Notes for Magus: I'm tired. This chapter was brought to you by General Motors, the Letter 'F,' and the Mass Effect 2 Trailer, which was epic enough to inspire me to write. I'm sure Matt is glad (Tannim: I am!) I got off my butt and did something. Stay tuned for more.

Author's Notes for Tannim: We hope you've enjoyed the ride so far. ^_^


	11. Chapter 10

"They're resting now, but in no danger. The armor you acquired might be of an older design, but it performed admirably for your friend," Shaw said, as Kyle looked in on his sleeping friends.

After an unnerving portal trip back to Stormwind, Serenity and Matt had been carried off to the royal healers. Kyle had refused to speak to anyone until he knew they were fine, which Shaw grudgingly allowed. They _had_ managed to do far more than expected (since even their survival during their infiltration attempt was estimated somewhere between 'unlikely' and 'impossible'). Furthermore, this night elf's apparent knowledge of current events was reason enough alone to give in to her demands. Within reason, of course.

"So, we've done all we could for them, and they'll be in perfect condition when they awaken. I trust, then, that you'll now entertain our questions?"

Kyle watched the two sleeping figures for a moment more, before nodding. "That's fine." Turning to look at Shaw, she smirked, before looking past him and not seeing anyone. "Who is the other when you say 'our?'"

"Why, King Wynn, of course. As well as a few of his advisors. They're-" Shaw started to explain.

"Only the King. And you. The rest I don't know enough to trust."

Shaw frowned. "I can get rid of most, but the king will want Highlord Fordragon there, at least."

Suppressing a wince at hearing the name and the memories it brought up, Kyle nodded. "Fordragon I can trust."

Mathias sighed in relief. "Then we'll proceed. I'll inform the King. I trust you know the way?"

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't familiar with Stormwind Keep."

Shaw laughed. "Keep that up and I'll have to re-evaluate you night elves." Turning towards the door, he gestured at it. "I'll go on ahead and clear the chamber. Give me a couple minutes, then head on in. I trust you know enough about protocol to not get yourself arrested?"

Kyle smiled again. "If not, I'm sure I can wing it well enough."

Xxxxx

Matt awoke to the stabbing sensation of light hammering down on his sensitive eyes. How long had he been asleep? Why was his head pounding like a gnome with a pickaxe was mining for gold inside his brain? What time was it? These questions and more bounced around inside his skull as he attempted to crack open his eyes to see where the heck he was.

His first attempt at movement elicited a groan of protest from his aching muscles. Nothing in particular seemed to stand out; his entire body was one rolling mass of dulled pain.

His voice was cracked and hoarse, and throat felt raw as he spoke. "Man, what did I have to _drink_ last night?"

Several minutes passed, wherein he contemplated each individual agony, before he was able to open his eyes enough to catch a glimpse of the room he was in. The shock of seeing a completely foreign surrounding seemed to finally shock his brain into fully working again.

"Did I really leap just onto a dragon and stab it in the eye?" he wondered. He gasped. "Serenity!" With a burst of energy he did not feel he tried to bolt out of bed... Only to fall helplessly to the floor with a loud _thud_ in a tangle of bed sheets and bandages. He was fairly sure he pulled something as new waves of agony washed through his body.

"Oooowwww..." He whimpered. "I don't think I'll be going anywhere anytime soon."

Xxxxx

"So, all that aside, your biggest threat from up north, and- I cannot stress this enough- it _is_ Arthas. The sooner you start building a beachhead for the Alliance, the better off your armies will be when the scourge tries to push south."

Kyle was getting tired of the questions. King Wrynn seemed shocked that the next threat to the Alliance was not the Horde, and even moreso that the Alliance and Horde would initially work towards the same goal. Having left out some of the more jarring happenings (like the Wrathgate) meant that he would be somewhat unprepared for events to come, but only on a personal level. By that time, Kyle intended to be in another universe, far from dragons, orcs, and boobs. On him. Her. Whatever.

"From anyone else, I'd question your sanity, night elf; but you've proven your knowledge. I assume you have some ideas as to where such footholds should be established?" King Wrynn asked.

"Here for starters. The scourge in the area are relatively light though they'll no doubt try to push you out once they realize you're there to stay."

"The Borean Tundra? Our last expedition there said it was relatively barren," Bolvar Fordragon said.

Kyle shot him a frown, "And how old was this report? There's lichen and other plant life, as well as hardy wildlife. But The Scarlet Onslaught will build a Harbor here in the Dragonblight, and the Grizzly Hills offer too lucrative a bounty to safely offload an army. If you want to disembark unmolested, you've two options, The Borean Tundra-"

"Or the Howling Fjord." Shaw interjected, staring at the map. "This inlet, here, looks like a reasonable natural harbor."

"It is, if you can get past the giants."

"Giants?" Bolvar asked.

"Giant people. Humanoid, about twelve feet tall? Not literal giants, somewhere between giants and humans. Look like barbarian humans; act like it too. They're being slowly converted to serve the Lich King. Expect opposition from them, they're not going to be allies."

"I see... What else should we be aware of?" The King asked thoughtfully.

"Well, I'm sure you've been made aware of the Nerubians..."

Xxxxx

It had been an agonizing morning. Or afternoon. Matt wasn't sure what time it was. After climbing to his feet (crawling to the nearest chair and using that to lever himself vertical once more) he spotted his clothes... Across the room. A minute or so of resting before pushing himself to his feet through sheer force of will, he somehow managed to not only make it to the other side but then dress himself.

Mostly, it was thoughts of Serenity that kept him moving and unwilling to wait for attendance from whatever passed for nurses around here. The urgent desire to locate and find out what had happened to her was overwhelming in its strength, and he was determined not to care that the body he was driving seemed to protest desperately against the movement.

It was only as he was leaving his room that he made some rather important observations about the place he was staying at. First, everything was of the finest quality; at least, the kind of quality you'd get in a medieval society like the one found in World of Warcraft. Secondly, the floor, wall and ceiling were all made of stone, which must have made for some wicked heating bills. Third, the guards at his door were eyeing him suspiciously but hadn't yet pulled out their weapons, telling him that he wasn't exactly under house arrest.

"Um. There was a girl? Brought here with me? Where is she?" Matt asked haltingly.

The larger of the two nodded towards the doorway across the hall.

"Thanks."

Xxxxx

"I want you there." Wynn said suddenly.

Kyle blinked. The strategy and planning session had carried on into the evening, and hastily drawn out plans had been fleshed out (with the aid of Kyle's foreknowledge and cunningly leading the conversation in the right direction). "Me?"

Wynn laughed, then turned to Bolvar. "I think for once I surprised the lady!" Turning back to Kyle, the king nodded. "You know more than you've told me, and you're leading this planning session where you want it to go."

"That obvious, huh?" Kyle asked, sounding dejected.

"Not to most. But I'm a king. I deal with manipulators and liars every day. At least you appear to have the well being of the Alliance at heart."

"Aye, she does. And Stormwind too, it seems. We could have gotten all this second hand from Priestess Whisperwind, months from now," Bolvar stated.

"A thought I had, as well. Tell me, Jaessica, what made you decide to tell us, instead of your own people?"

Kyle couldn't help but wince. Not a question he'd expected. Easy enough to answer though. "The Night Elves..." She paused, before continuing, "My people are fairly secular. Humans have spread far faster in the past fifteen years than any other alliance race, save maybe the Dwarves' Explorers League. And while your kind is just as likely to run each other through as stand shoulder to shoulder with your enemies to fight a mutual threat, humanity provides the Alliance with its primary means to project power on a global scale."

"Well said," King Wrynn said, nodding. "It's good to see sound military thinking in our allies; because in the war ahead, we'll need all the help we can get. All the more reason to send you along."

"I'm no leader, King Wrynn. Just a well-informed night elf on a mission from God."

The three humans stared at Kyle for a moment, before chuckling. "Well, far be it from me to stand between you and your goals. But I insist you at least travel with the initial group. Your understanding of the land will cut down the time it takes to secure, hold, and build our defenses. I will send along some of my trusted commanders and task them with overseeing things. But they will know to trust your advice, and I trust _you_ to use the power I give you to ensure that we are ready for whatever comes our way."

"I believe I can do that. However, I have... Two requests, before I accept," Kyle stated.

"Not... Altogether unexpected," Wynn stated, before nodding. "Speak up then. What would you ask of me?"

"My friends are part of my quest. Qu- Lady Serenity and the paladin Matthew. Our goal is in Northrend, and it makes sense to work towards both goals at the same time," Kyle said.

"A Queen, is she? I could tell she was of noble birth, but that's quite a title to lay claim to," the king said, with a smirk. Shrugging, he nodded, "I can allow them to travel with you, but only if I have your word that you'll not leave my men before they're adequately prepared for the dangers they face in Northrend."

"You have my word that I will do everything in my power to protect them. But I cannot promise that none of them will die in the coming months. This is a war, your highness, and in wars, people die."

"A truth far too many tend to overlook," Shaw offered, nodding.

"Yes. People die. But on the blades of their enemies. Death due to negligence on their commander's part is unacceptable!" Bolvar said with a frown.

"You misunderstand. I've never been one to cut and run. As you saw back in Blackwing Lair, Shaw." Kyle said.

"She's brave enough to face a full grown black dragon with a pair of kitchen knives. I don't think she'll be running from a fight. Might want to assign her a priest, however..." Shaw replied.

The King nodded, before turning to Jaessica once more. "Very well. You and your friends will accompany the first batch of men to Northrend. If nothing else, the paladin can fight to defend the place as well. Your second request?"

Kyle frowned, motioning towards Shaw. "As the esteemed SI:7 master pointed out, our weapons are sub-par. I'd like to think our services to your kingdom, and the Alliance as a whole are enough to earn us a small token or two of gratitude?"

"What did you have in mind?' King Wynn asked with a scowl.

"Nothing priceless or unique. Just some of the better weapons from the Alliance Requisition Officer over in Old Town. The armor we acquired is adequate enough. But the weapons I'm currently using are, shall we say... Lacking?"

"You can say that again," Shaw muttered.

"Our weapons are lacking," Kyle quipped with a grin. Shaw rolled his eyes, while Bolvar suppressed a smile and the king nodded.

"Easy enough. I'll have them delivered to you. It helps that your requests were reasonable. I was expecting something a bit more... Exorbitant."

"I think we're adequately equipped on a personal level."

"Aside from your weapons, that is," Shaw interjected.

"Which they've taken care of quite handily," Bolvar pointed out.

"... _Anyway_, we're good, so why ask? I've better things to do than waste time." Kyle growled.

King Wynn laughed. "I had almost assumed you were a noble yourself of some sort. But if you dislike dithering and taking everything you can from a king, you're like no noble I've dealt with."

"Time, distance, culture, _clash,_" Kyle muttered, before looking at the King. "I should go tell Matt and Serenity what's going on, then."

"Very well. I'll work on starting the Expedition. It's nice to be on the offensive for once," King Wrynn said.

"Well, for now, think of this as more of a subtle move to position your pieces. When Arthas makes his move, then you can unleash the hell upon him he so justly deserves." Kyle said, before turning towards the door. Remembering something, she bowed slightly. "By your leave?"

The King grunted his amusement, before nodding. "You may."

Xxxxx

Kyle found Matt asleep, slumped in the chair next to Serenity's bed. The bit of drool escaping his mouth did nothing for his looks, which were marred by bed hair and torn bandages. He looked like a wounded puppy that had curled up near its master to sleep.

"How... Charming," Kyle muttered, before poking Matt. Unfortunately, said poking was done with her boot, and somewhat hard.

"What?!" Matt barked with surprise as he jolted awake. A few blinking moments to reorient himself found him looking at an annoyed Kyle, and he relaxed. "Oh, it's you."

"Yes. It's me. I've got us a ticket to Northrend..." Kyle said, trailing off.

"I sense a 'but' coming."

"But... We kind of have to help the Alliance set up their fortifications." Kyle said. "Which reminds me, how much do you know about Wrath?"

"It's another word for anger?" he shrugged.

Kyle sighed, and buried her face in her hands. "No, not quite. But that answers my question anyway." Turning to look at Serenity, she couldn't help but sigh. "Not much we can do for her, is there?"

Matt shook his head. "Nothing I can think of, at any rate. Except be here."

Xxxxx

Serenity awoke to the sound of voices talking. And not talking softly either.

"What do you mean? It's not possible. A paladin just doesn't have the sustained damage output. It's like saying a druid could replace a priest. It just doesn't work that way!"

"Why not? Damage is damage and healing is healing, isn't it?"

"The mitigation factor alone is enough to warrant a downturn in the DPS. Add in the other talent trees allowing... Ooh..." Kyle trailed off as he noticed Serenity was awake.

"Something tells me you're talking as if this is a game again." She briefly closed her eyes. "Wake me up when you've something constructive to say."

"No, we're done. Sorry," Kyle replied, turning slightly purple as she realized how loud they'd been arguing a few moments ago.

"I assume, from your presence, that you were waiting for me to awaken to tell me something?" Serenity asked after it became apparent neither were going to speak up.

"Oh, right. Um, we've... Managed to acquire passage to Northrend. So we're one step closer to getting home."

Serenity turned to face the wall, though the hitch in her voice was unmistakable. "And what, exactly, do I have to return to?"

Kyle frowned, but swallowed her first thought before she could speak it. "Serenity, we came for you as soon as we knew you were missing. We accepted Dax's company to hasten our way. We _killed_ for you, to get to you, and free you, and we, at the time, had no idea what had been done. But I can't say we could have been quicker. I'm sorry... I'm so very sorry about what has happened, and I'm worried about what it could mean, but I don't know what we could have done to get to you in time."

Words failed Matt as he struggled to find something to say, so he laid a hand on Serenity's shoulder. All that came out was, "I am so, so sorry."

Serenity turned, tears streaming down her face. She spoke in a whisper, "...they killed my baby..." With a wordless cry of anger and frustration she clung to Matt and began to sob.

Kyle wisely decided to leave the room.

Xxxxx

An hour later, Matt exited the room and shut the door softly behind him. Kyle stood across the hall, apparently deep in thought.

"How is she?" Kyle asked.

"Sleeping, for now." Matt shook his head slowly. "No parent should have to outlive their child. She's strong, though; I think she'll pull through."

Kyle noticed Matt was carefully avoiding looking her in the eyes. "Are _you_ okay?"

The man let out a long sigh. "I think... That I've decided to stay. In the Silver Millennium." He raised a hand to forestall any response. "I know, I know we aren't exactly responsible this; Kcalbanihc is ultimately responsible, and he paid for it. But she's here because of our direct interference with an act of charity designed to send us home. I don't think I could peacefully live out the rest of my life knowing we did this to her. Not without some kind of atonement. And if that means my death at the hands of some malevolent energy-sucking entity at the end of all this... I guess I'm willing to face that."

Kyle nodded. "While I'd like to think I'd try to avoid such a bad end, I've already decided to stay. If I can help..." Kyle shrugged. "Well... If I can help, then that's what I'll do. My stupid comment got us here, so I might as well take some responsibility."

Despite everything that had happened to them the past few days, Matt found a smile creeping onto his face. "Fighting evil by moonlight? Living love by daylight? Never running from a real fight? Yeah, I guess I could live with that." The English dub of the Sailor Moon theme song had always been a secret favorite of his, despite its inherent cheesiness. Or perhaps because of it.

"Do me a favor: never sing that. Ever." Kyle muttered, before turning to look at the door and sighing.

"Well!" Matt clapped his hands together. "I'd better see someone about getting these bandages straightened out. It seems I'm bleeding all over the floor." This was a bit of an exaggeration; he was only bleeding slightly through his shirt. "After that, I think I'll see about finding a real paladin and asking him how to..." He struggled to find the right words.

"Be a paladin?" Kyle asked, with a slight smile.

"I was thinking of how best to... Protect others, I guess would be the phrase. Better than saying 'teach me to be a tank.'"

"Well, I can stab with the best of them, it seems. I'll talk to Shaw, see if there's any training he can give me while the King makes his preparations. I get the feeling we'll need whatever we can get once we get back to the Silver Millennium."

"Right."

Xxxxx

Kyle started awake as the door across from his chair was pulled open. After Matt had taken off to seek training, she'd been left trying to decide what to do. And while it was probable that Shaw would give be willing to give advice, or point her in the right direction, leaving Serenity alone seemed wrong. So she had taken up station outside the queen's door, and after an hour of sitting in the rather comfortable padded chair she had drifted off into an uncomfortable sleep.

Serenity, on the other hand, had woken up feeling somewhat refreshed. Refreshed, that is, until reality came crashing back down, driving the last vestiges of sleep from her mind, and she clenched her fists in an attempt to hold back the wail she felt growing in the back of her throat.

Finally, after wiping the newest set of tears from her eyes, she mentally pulled herself together and set out to find out where she was. Pulling the door open with a purpose, she froze upon seeing the familiar figure across the hall from her, and another wave of emotions crashed through her. As Kyle awoke, and tried her best to pull herself together visually, Serenity watched the changed human, and noticed some rather tell-tale signs of stress, even in such an altered state.

Giving in to her thoughts, Serenity spoke. "Matt... Talked with me about your world a little."

"He did?" Kyle asked, unsure where that had come from.

Serenity nodded. "Yes." She paused, looking Kyle over before sighing. "I've come to the conclusion that you two DID indeed come for me at your fastest, but you, like him... Like _me_, were unaware of the brutality this world can offer."

"I... Don't quite follow. I'm... I've... I should have known, Serenity. I failed you, because I wasn't... Because I couldn't see past the things I wanted to see." Kyle shook his head in frustration. "I should have known. In the game-" She paused, rolling her eyes, "the _game_- that this is based on, I've done so much killing... It's unnerving, I suppose, to think about that happening for real. But I let myself be deluded into thinking it was different here. And in so doing, I endangered you. I endangered Matt. I endangered myself. And... I endangered your child. And of all of us, I was the one who should have known, yet you and yours were the ones who paid the ultimate price." Kyle looked down at the floor, feeling tears forming in the shining eyes of his current body. "I'm the one who should have died."

Serenity shook her head. "There's no point dwelling on the past. I won't lie; the pain, the thoughts in my head, the feelings I have, they're still raw, still fresh. But you, me… All of us; we cannot afford to let our lives be ruled by thoughts on things that might have been. Matt... Earlier... He helped. And like I said, he spoke a bit about where you're from. Your world is one of war and peace, but where you live is primarily calm, peaceful." She shrugged, holding up her hand as Kyle took a breath to interrupt. "Oh, there's crime, as Matt liked to point out, but for the most part your lives are far more sheltered than even those of my subjects."

"Aah..." Kyle wanted to refute it, but held her tongue. Not knowing what the standard of living was like in the Silver Millennium, she couldn't really comment, one way or the other.

Serenity looked Kyle in the eyes, before nodding softly. "I don't blame you for what has happened. You had no way of knowing... None of us did."

"But I should have!" Kyle growled.

Serenity shook her head again and put a hand on the night elf's shoulder.

"We are all products of the society that raised us. You grew up in a world that, to you, was relatively free of violence. I could never blame you for that. You have never had to live your life expecting the worst around every corner, and I envy you and your society for that. Even if the danger can still exist."

"But why-" Kyle started to ask, before she cut him off.

"I was raised, and ruled a society of peace, as well, Kyle. And while there is danger, it is not too unlike your own. Where you have technology, we have Magic. And we aren't exactly wanting, when it comes to creature comforts." She shot Kyle a ghost of a smile. "So if I were to blame you, then I'd also have to blame myself."

"I don't think that's fair," Kyle said, before Serenity's look crystallized into a glare.

"Fair? Fair!? This whole situation isn't fair!" Serenity took a couple calming breaths. "But as unfair as it is... It isn't your fault. Even if.." Serenity trailed off, looking away, towards a window at the end of the hall, though her focus was much, much farther.

"Even if what?" Kyle asked, almost afraid to find out.

"I know in my heart that this was not your fault, but a part of me, the part of me that selfishly brought you to me, insists that if you had been faster, if I had been stronger, if we had been smarter..."

Kyle nodded. "I understand. You're not too far removed from humanity, if that voice is what I'm thinking of."

Looking away herself, Kyle spoke quietly. "I've not been the most... Accommodating of people at times, I know." She ignored the snort Serenity tried to stifle, before continuing. "But I'm mature enough to know I should take some responsibility for my actions. I told you I'd help you when we return. Matt will too. We'll still do whatever it takes to protect your kingdom, but I hope that we can still be friends throughout. In the brief time I've known you, you've been far more... Interesting than I would have ever expected."

Much to the night elf's surprise, Serenity gently took Kyle's hand in her own. "I do accept you as a friend, Kyle; you and Matt both. In spite of all your faults, all your misbehaviors, both of you have good hearts; if you truly intend on fighting for my kingdom as you say, then I would hope it'd be as friends. I have enough servitors and soldiers."

Kyle nodded. "I can only imagine." looking down at their hands, she nodded. "I promise to do everything in my power to help you." She paused, before frowning. "With that said, however, I think it would be remiss of me not to ask you to seek out some training yourself."

Serenity blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean here, in this world, we're about to embark on a voyage to the most hostile continent on this world. I hesitated before when I killed because my opponents were alive, and I had a hundred questions running through me head. 'What if they have a family?' 'What if they're here under duress?' What if what if what if? It..." She shook her head as she trailed off. "Anyway. As bad as that was where we're going it will be even worse. Because the questions I asked before don't apply. We'll be facing the undead in numbers far too frightening to bother _trying_ to comprehend, and try as I might, I cannot kill an army alone."

There was an awkward silence for a moment, before Kyle intoned emotionlessly, "Northrend is a frozen hell. And we're going to have to fight for every inch we take. Matt and I will fight to protect you. _Die_ to protect you, if that's what it takes. But if we fall… If we fall, we... Would do so much more easily, knowing you were able to take care of yourself."

Serenity straightened up, doing her best to look down at the night elf. An impressive feat, considering the other was over a foot taller than her. "There's been enough death, thank you very much. I'll train. We'll train. And we'll get out of here, and return to my kingdom together, or not at all."

Kyle was impressed; her regal bearing had come out full tilt. "Is that an order?"

Serenity scoffed. "I'm Queen Serenity the Fourth, Monarch of the Silver Millennium, Daughter of Selene and Goddess of the Moon. That is not an order. It is the reality I, as a goddess, command."

Kyle was floored. Literally. As she had spoken, a silvery light had suffused the area around her, and even as she tried to fight it, her knees had grown so weak she'd been forced to kneel to avoid falling over. When Serenity had finished, there was an unsettling silence as her words seemed to echo throughout the corridor. Finally, the feeling passed, and Kyle climbed back to her feet, still feeling a little shaken.

"Don't... Don't do that again." Kyle said, crouching to see if his knees would soften again.

"A divine decree was just made, and you have the audacity to tell me not to do it again?" Serenity asked, shocked.

"Not that. I mean that light. Whatever it was. I thought I was having a stroke or something, the way my legs practically failed me. What the hell was that?"

Serenity shrugged. "My birthright made manifest. I'm a force of nature. Embodiment of some of its very laws. Your legs are fine. Your soul, however, is a mortal's. And because of that, in my presence... In my divine presence, I should say, it will do what it can to make itself humble."

"But... Why? That doesn't make any sense whatsoever. What if some dark god was chasing you? That would... Be bad." Kyle quickly amended her statement even as she spoke, trying to avoid bringing up death once again.

Serenity shrugged. "It happens. In time, you can build up an immunity to it, or learn to fight it. But it's fun at parties."

"..." For once, Kyle was at a loss.

Serenity couldn't help it, she smiled. Not a big smile; there was still a tinge of sadness in her eyes, but the look of bewilderment on Kyle's face was enough to break through the despair that had suffused her, even if only for a moment. And Kyle knew, then and there, that he would die for her. Not because she was a god or a queen. But because she was a friend. And he would do anything to protect that smile.

Xxxxx

Author's Notes for Tannim: Well, we're not dead! And here's another chapter for proof. Make of it what you will. Next stop: Northrend! And hopefully back to the Silver Millenium and to submarines.

Author's Notes for Magus: Be kinda hard to write if we were dead, Matt. But yes, I think this is the last major bit of this arc. Be ready for zombies, dragons, and wizards (oh my!) as well as other surprises. I actually have most of the rest of this planned out in rough-outline form. Problem is getting Matt and my writing schedules to coincide... And dragging him out of WoW (kicking and screaming).


	12. Chapter 11

It was a dark and stormy night. The air seethed in anger at the sea, and the sea responded in kind, crashing against the rocky shore in a spray of fine mist. Thunderous clouds hovered ominously overhead as the two watchers, indistinctly silhouetted by the nearby camp fire, looked on with dread. A third figure moved to join the duo looking out into the deeper parts of the sea, putting off a more pronounced outline given he was wearing a full set of plate armor and wielding a sword and shield. The trio continued searching for any sign of movement for a few moments more, before the one in armor decided to break the silence.

"Lovely day for a picnic, don't you think?"

Kyle looked irritably at Matt. "Okay, first off: it's night. Secondly? You want decent food," she pointed vaguely inland, "feel free to try and hunt it down yourself. Third?" Kyle paused. "... So I don't have a third point."

"Third," Serenity chimed in, "we have movement on the horizon. I think it's the _Righteous Fury_."

"Oh thank God," Matt muttered. "I don't think I could have taken eating crab cakes four days in a row."

The three otherworldly adventurers headed towards the large keep that rose above the tundra to report the oncoming ship. The land they'd chosen to build their fortifications on had proven hardy enough to prevent the scourge from burrowing in, but the utter lack of materials to build with (aside from stone, there was plenty of that) had necessitated immediate scouting as well as resupply. And the rapid building Kyle had initially anticipated had given way to eighteen months of grueling construction, interspersed with relentless assaults, both from Northrend's living natives and the scourge.

Now, however, Valiance Keep stood tall, the harbor just outside it filled with the timber and tools required to make a new ship, tentatively named The Stormbreaker, and construction on the Lodge was nearing completion. On the horizon, the incoming _Righteous Fury_ was loaded with supplies to begin construction of a training hall, as well as food and more men for the garrison located within the keep.

The past year and a half had been daunting, but finally, the end was in sight. "If I have to put up with another one of those D.H.E.T.A. morons asking me about wildlife conservation..." Kyle grumbled as he pulled off the stuffed coat he'd been wearing.

"Oh, they're not _that_ bad," Serenity replied.

"Trust me, they are. You don't get the same spiel I do, because you're not a night elf."

"Hey guys, not to interrupt this delightful exchange, but shouldn't we be checking in with the watch commander? I'm guessing he'll be as excited as I am that we'll be eating fresh food soon. At the very least, he'll want to know the ship made it through."

"Just so long as they didn't send in dried fish, like last time," Kyle replied, before returning a salute from one of the soldiers guarding the entryway. Despite his arguments to the King of Stormwind, the situation in Northrend had degenerated quickly. As the scourge attacked, they had begun to target officers until finally Matt, Kyle, and Serenity were some of the few informed people left. Reinforcements had fixed that problem over time, but the older soldiers who'd come across the seas with them on the first ships had treated them with the same respect they gave the new officers, and newer enlistees had copied those 'in-the-know,' until a battlefield promotion had officiated what everyone had been doing for over a year.

Quickly alerting the watch commander in the keep's courtyard of their voluntary shift, they stepped into the barracks portion of the keep, and headed for the stairs leading up to the Officer's quarters and main hall.

"So, tonight?" Serenity asked.

Kyle nodded. "Everything is pretty much as I remember it. While not quite caught up, I get the feeling we're close to the point I remember. We've done our part, as promised."

"And then some," Matt muttered.

Passing another pair of saluting footmen, they entered the cozy hall and made their way over to the balding man behind a table covered in books and maps.

"General Arlos," Kyle said with a nod.

"Commander, Lieutenant, Lady. What news from the front?" the General asked.

"Nothing to report there, but from the ocean, it seems our newest supply is about to arrive."

"Wonderful! Another boat load of civilians playing at being soldiers, and whatever supplies the smiths and carpenters turned down in Stormwind."

Kyle smiled at that. The General always complained about that, even though they all knew he was looking forward to the new supplies and fresh foods just as much as anyone else.

"Aside from that, sir, there's something I'd like to speak with you about."

The general frowned. "So it's that time, is it? The king told me to expect it..."

"I'm sure he did. I don't like the thought of leaving you in the lurch, but at the moment, I think the worst is behind us." Kyle said.

"Commander, we've got scourge-infested lands as far as the eye can see to the north, and to the south, nothing but frigid ocean; a wall with our backs against it, no matter how flat or calm it may be."

"I understand that, general. But my... _Knowledge_ of things is quickly coming to an end. I fail to see what use I'll be to you, once that's expended."

The General chuckled. "You've no idea, Commander, do you? The men look up to you. The three of you, really. You've been here since the beginning. You know the men, know the land, and despite the apparent lack of training, you've grown into some of the finest officers I've had serving under me that I can recall. I hate to lose you. All of you."

Kyle blinked, not having thought about it that way. "I... Hadn't thought of it that way before. But I insist, sir. Our usefulness here is coming to an end. At least in a unique way. We'll be missed, but we're officers. I'm sure Stormwind isn't lacking for those."

General Arlos harrumphed. "Lacking in officers? Not a chance. But good officers? You'd be surprised." He turned to look the three of them over, before sighing wearily. "Commander, come here." So saying, he waved Kyle over to the table, and the map of Northrend spread out over the majority of it.

"Our scouts have finished sounding out the location of those damnable tunnels the scourge keep using to attack us. I've been drawing up a plan to neutralized them for a time so that we can finish construction unmolested."

"I see... You want us to oversee the operation?"

"Something like that. There's a special cargo on the _Righteous Fury_ I've requested from the Stormwind armory. A prototype weapon using some of that strange metal our scouts found further north."

"Saronite," Matt said, trying to hide his disgust. Kyle had explained to him and Serenity the origins of the metal. Despite its presence in nodes of ore scattered throughout the continent, it was really the solidified blood of Yogg-Saron, the Old God of Death.

"Indeed," the General replied with a nod. "This weapon should be enough to collapse a majority of the tunnels leading to..."

He leaned over to check the map, but Kyle finished for him "- Azjol-Nerub."

"That's it. We can't use anything too powerful or it might damage Valiance Keep. But this is supposed to pack enough of a punch to blow up a small hill."

Kyle suppressed a smirk. Where he came from, a bomb the size of a desk could blow up a small mountain. Whatever they had coming wouldn't be anything too impressive.

"I see. What role would you have us play?" Serenity asked.

"That mountain out there is covered with caves those damnable bugs keep coming at us from. A small strike team can conceivably slip in, plant the weapon near the base, and get out before the bomb goes off and brings the mountain down on those bastard's heads."

"Sounds messy. I take it you want us to lead that strike team, then?"

The General nodded. "Indeed. You take out those undead, and I'll see to it you have the freedom to head off on your way. I'll even let the other outposts know to give you what hospitality they can."

"That's... Very generous of you," Serenity stated.

"You've been good to the men here. You've stood beside them to fight, and given them orders that got them through thick and thin. The Alliance owes you three for that, but this mission is too well suited for you. I can trust others with this task, but I'm asking you. They- the others, I mean- are capable enough, but I know you can see this task through. You've far more luck than the rest of us combined."

"Must be a trick of the Light," Kyle quipped, earning a quick glare from the General. He was a paladin, worshiper and follower of the Divine Light, and he disliked the night elf's irrelevance in regards to it, but he'd learned to let it slide in occasion.

"Elune might have a thing or two to say about that, as well," Matt said.

Serenity frowned, but held her tongue. Matt, seeing this, winced slightly. He should have known better than to bring up the moon goddess.

"In any case," the General said loudly, to get them back on track. "We'll unpack the gear, and move out as soon as we can. That should allow you some time to prepare."

"Thank you, General." Serenity said.

He didn't reply, merely nodding at them before turning back to his map.

Xxxxx

The early morning sun found Valiance Keeps' docks already bustling with activity; the harbor itself had come a long way from a simple inlet on a rocky shore. Sturdy twin piers eventually took shape and made the inner formation of the Alliance stronghold. A strategically placed tower kept watch for any surprise attacks while the vessel unloaded its much needed supplies. And as had become habit over the intervening months, Serenity was there, quill in hand and taking an inventory of all the items coming off the ship. Her calm demeanor and stern voice kept all the dock workers there at a brisk pace, making sure everything transpired with quick efficiency. If someone looked closely enough it might appear she was actually having fun.

"Stevens! Watch your step, you nearly dropped our only crate of spices," Serenity admonished. "I know you've only been with us a few months, but I expect you to be more careful."

"Yes ma'am! Sorry ma'am!"

"I see you slacking over there Aldriot. Do you want to lose your dinner rations again?"

Aldriot spit over the side over the boat before picking up a barrel. "Apologies ma'am, just catchin' me breath is all."

"Do that when we're finished, we've got to make sure this boat is ready to set sail before the evening tide."

"Of course, ma'am."

Serenity virtually hummed to herself as she catalogued each item as it came off the ship, making a mental tally to add with the precious few stores they already had. As each vessel was loaded with provisions, along with additional reinforcements and crew, it was something of a guessing game to see how much food they required and needed to survive. Unfortunately the last few shipments of required cargo had been lost at sea, to who knows what, and had stretched their supplies to the breaking point. Everyone was excited to see fresh food arrive, and it didn't require much prompting from Serenity to keep everyone working quickly.

Given how packed each ship was, with no wasted space or manpower, it was something of a surprise to see an overly-dressed man, somewhat overweight, arrive from beneath the ship's hold. He looked around and spotted the most likely important person in the vicinity, which happened to be Serenity.

"Excuse me, miss?" he spoke in a slow drawl, habitual to the nobles of Azeroth. "I believe I need to see someone... hmph... in charge."

With a glare that had dignitaries of visiting nations cowed, Serenity simply looked at the man. He wilted under the attention.

"It's just that I... Have an important message. From the King." He looked side to side uncertainly. "I suppose there's no harm in telling you. Kil'Jaden the Deceiver, that demon warlock menace, was successfully pushed back into the Twisting Nether at the Sunwell. Now that we've finished with that fight, we'll be able to fully turn our attention and resources to Northrend." He gave a weak, half-hearted smile. "Congratulations are in order, I suppose. We'll have a regular shipping line established within the month."

Serenity nodded gravely. "That's all well and good. However, what I would like for you to do is move. You're blocking the gangplank."

The man nearly fell into the sea in his haste to comply. As he left Serenity's immediate view, she became aware of an even stranger oddity; several gnomes were working in tandem, lifting a crate out of the hold with a winch and pulley system, all done with the care one usually takes with extremely breakable objects. A dwarf in plate bellowed orders, directing the whole thing, and glared with venom at any of her boys getting too close to the operation.

Before Serenity could open her mouth and ask what this was all about, the dwarf stomped towards her with an angry glare. "You there! Woman! We need a dry room with no foot traffic!"

Serenity, used to dealing with unruly subjects, simply nodded. "Very well, I believe some room could be allocated towards fitting your needs-"

The dwarf interrupted her mid-sentence. "Good. And when you've shown my men where we can place this, fetch General Arlos for us. This is the most important thing you people will get to participate in since landing in Northrend!" Rather than wait to see if his demands were carried out, the dwarf stormed off the boat without so much as a backwards glance.

A sea breeze brushed by Serenity's hair, tousling it in front of her eyes as she attempted to keep the rage in check. She succeeded, if only barely. "Stevens! Aldriot! I've got some work for you..."

Xxxxx

After the ship had been unloaded (a process that had taken most of the morning) Kyle, Matt, and Serenity had been called to the courtyard of the keep by a runner. There, they were to meet with the captain in charge of the weapon meant to end (at least, temporarily) the scourge assault.

"So this is it, huh?" Kyle asked, staring at the 'device' with no small amount of trepidation. Semi-spherical in nature, it was waist-high, and covered with dials, gauges, wires, and riveted patches of mismatched metals. In a couple places, wooden planks seemed to have been used to create the shell, as well. "The gnomes worked on this, didn't they?"

"Aye, lass, they did," the dwarf in charge, who revealed himself to be Captain Bitters, said with a hint of misery. As if on cue, a half-dozen of the diminutive Azerothians ran in, all of them wearing coveralls and tinted goggles as they busied about it with tools and other arcane devices.

"Should I ask for a geiger counter?" Kyle quipped.

Matt chuckled, but the dwarf seemed confused. "A what now?"

"A... nevermind. Not important. So! I assume you're going to be on the placement team, who else is coming with us?" Kyle asked, eyeing the gnomes warily. She'd seen quite a few gnome soldiers hold their own against the oncoming tide of undead. Enough that she could respect them on a battlefield. but these weren't soldiers. They looked like low-level technicians. All they needed were two-foot long lab coats.

"I've a small strike team already picked out. Since I've been stuck with you three as well, I'm going to divide us up into two teams," he explained.

"How many per team?" Serenity asked, hiding a frown.

"Four. Since your Commander here supposedly has a sixth sense concerning the layout of Northrend, I figure she'll do best leading the strike team into the caves and clearing our path," Captain Bitters explained.

"Where do you want us?" Matt asked, motioning to Serenity and himself.

"You'll go with the strike team, and Lady Serenity here will stay with the bombing team, which I'll be leading personally."

Matt looked uncertainly from Kyle to Serenity. "The three of us together have been a pretty effective fighting force. Any particular reason you're breaking us up?"

"I've read the reports, Lieutenant. The three of you have some talent, but the strike team needs to be entirely offensive, and a priest, even one as powerful as Lady Serenity here, would do much more good back with the bombing team, as we're stuck escorting a technician and some muscle to move the weapon into place."

"That's two. Who else on each team?" Kyle asked, hoping there were some powerful people with Serenity.

"The Bombing team will be me, the Lady Serenity, Corporal Hartaz, and Technician Nobbs." As he spoke, a draenei behemoth in plate stepped forward, followed by a grinning gnome in a rubber apron with a combover.

Kyle did her best to suppress a groan. Especially at the madness dancing in the eyes of the grinning gnome. "And the strike team?"

"We have Sergeant Soerta," Another plate-wearing draenei figure stepped forward, though this one was female. "-And Private Jenkins."

Before the human private could step forward, Kyle let out a rather girlish shriek that ended almost as quickly as it started. Trying to cover it up with a cough, Kyle waved off the Captains questioning look, and hoped the coughing would cover for her suddenly pale face.

"Your first name wouldn't happen to be Leeroy, would it?" Matt asked with trepidation.

"How did you know, sir? I've heard you were good with the men, but that's uncanny!" The young man swelled with pride that his superior officer already knew his name.

Kyle's mouth opened. Snapped shut with a click of teeth. Opened again. And it hung there, as she fumbled for something to say.

Matt, unable to do anything else, grinned weakly at the praise.

Kyle buried her face in her hand. "I can't wait to get out of here. One more mission... one more." Shaking off her misery, she nodded. "Right. Well. We'll see this through, just like all the other missions we've done, right? When do we leave?"

"As soon as possible?" Sergeant Soerta said, quietly. The faint accent of her people sounded vaguely Eastern European to Kyle and Matt.

"Unfortunately, there are some last-minute calibrations that need to be done for the device to in- go off correctly. It'll be another day before we're ready," Technician Nobbs interjected.

"Hmm... Sounds like a finicky bomb. You sure it'll make it to where it needs to go without breaking?' Kyle asked, frowning at the device.

"Of course! What do you think we are? Goblins?" The Technician asked, earning another sigh from Kyle.

"I would hope not," she replied, before muttering "I tower over enough people already."

"I'm going to look over the reports from what few scouts who went into that mountain and made it out have reported. Captain, if you would accompany me?" Kyle said, taking off towards the Officer's Mess off the main hall.

Captain Bitters nodded. "Aye, you'd better believe I will," he said, before taking off after her.

Xxxxx

The three erstwhile dimension travelers had settled into varying roles over the course of time it took to build and establish the Alliance beachhead. Kyle helped oversee the overall strategic and tactical aspects of the assault, which included organizing scouting parties, directing building construction, and preparing for the various dangers his foreknowledge warned him about. Serenity threw herself with abandon into organizing and prioritizing the logistical side of the operation; what resources they had and what went where (she claimed it was much easier than trying to juggle the demands and constraints of an entire solar system). And Matt, feeling decidedly left out, had opted to attempt to keep the morale of the defenders high by drilling as often as he could with the common trooper. b

This in turn lead to his eventual battlefield promotion as a lieutenant and had the unforeseen side effect of having him becoming rather attached to the soldiers under his command, and they with him. He decided on one last tour of inspection before leaving tomorrow, and to maybe have a few words with the men, but before he could form up his platoon of soldiers his first sergeant managed to find him. How he unerringly did so whenever he wanted to Matt was dying to know, and he suspected the man had more contacts and friends inside the Keep than most spies cultivate over an entire lifetime.

"Is it true, sir? Are you really leaving us?"

Matt winced as a pair of puppy-dog eyes was directed his way; they would have done a four year old asking for a sweet proud. It looked oddly incongruous on a man ten years his senior. It was also typical of the man to try and wheedle his commander in this fashion.

"Geez Sam, quit it with the eyes already! You're a sergeant now, start acting like it!" He paused to take a breath. "Yes, after this mission we're leaving, the three of us. No, it doesn't look like we'll be back any time soon, or ever for that matter." At Sam's defeated look, Matt added somewhat gruffly, "Of course I'll miss you guys. It's been an honor and a pleasure serving with you." Matt raised a gauntleted fist and punched his sergeant in the armored shoulder. "You'll be taking over for me when I leave, so you better treat the men right."

If Matt didn't know better, he'd almost swear his prone-to-overacting first sergeant was close to tears. But with visible effort the man pulled himself together and performed a parade ground salute. "We won't let you down, sir!"

Matt nodded. "Good man." He glanced around conspiratorially, then leaned in to whisper. "I know things have been rough on the men lately, so I wanted to organize a small, shall we say... Celebration party? In a day or two? Something of a victory bash for when we return. New supplies have just docked and I have it on good authority that they've managed to include some very excellent dwarven brews. I'm sure you have the connections to put one together quickly."

Sam looked uncertain. "But what about the scourge attacks?"

"They're going to be halted, for a while at any rate. If we succeed in our mission, that is. Let's just say I'm being optimistic. If this plan works out, you'll be free of the scourge for a time. If not, we'll just call the whole thing off." Matt figured if that were to occur he'd probably be dead, in which case it really wouldn't matter to him either way.

Sam slowly nodded, and grinned. "It has been a while since I've tasted fine dwarven ale. For all of us, really. I'm sure the men will be pleased."

"Excellent! Good to hear. But, if you could, keep this quiet, would you? I want it to be something of a surprise for the Commander and her ladyship."

"Of course sir!" Sam gave one last salute. "I'll get right on it!"

Xxxxx

General Arlos looked over the plans before glancing up at the two officer's standing before him. "This plan seems a little..." He paused as if looking for the right word, before finally saying, "Loose."

Kyle smirked. "A thought I'd had as well. But beyond a few hundred meters in, none of our scouts into those caves came back alive. We don't know what we'll find. In light of that much 'unknown factor,' this plan gives us the flexibility needed to handle almost any situation we come across."

"Indeed. And your thoughts, Captain? I see you're taking charge here, despite the Commander's higher rank."

"The Commander's rank was a field promotion made during the heat of battle when there was nobody to effectively lead the men here. The King of Stormwind himself pulled me aside and told me to listen to her advice whenever it was given, and I'll do so. But I'm not about to entrust the fate of this mission to an untested officer of questionable skill."

The general blinked. "And... your thoughts, Commander?"

Kyle shrugged. "I'll try not to let my wounded ego trip me up."

General Arlos nodded. "See that it doesn't. I want you all back here when this is over. With Kil'Jaden's defeat, the Burning Legion's threat is diminished for the time being. We should be seeing reinforcements as forces dispatched to Outland are rotated up here. But until that time, we have to finish construction, and to do that, we need some time to get things done unmolested!"

"This will give you that time, General. My men and I are sure of that," Bitters stated.

"We'll see, captain; we'll see. Commander, if this plan meets your approval, then you're free to proceed."

Kyle couldn't' help but smirk at the choking sound the dwarf beside her made, before nodding. "It's a sound plan. Given our resources and manpower, it's probably our best option. The teams will be ready to leave within the hour."

"My mission, Commander. I'll decide when we leave. But yes, General. We're nearly ready to go. I've just a few things to go over with the night elf here, first." Captain Bitters said, before turning to leave.

The two officers watched the shorter leave, before Kyle snorted and sketched a salute. "By your leave, General?"

Arlos chuckled. "See to it that you come back alive, Commander. Morale can ill afford to lose you or your friends."

"And the Captain?"

"I would never turn down help up here in Northrend, no matter how distasteful their personality."

"I suppose then, that Captain Bitters is appropriately named. I'll try to keep him alive, as well."

"Good luck, Commander. I get the feeling you're going to need it."

"Hmm," Kyle hummed in reply, before slipping out the door.

A second later Kyle nearly tripped over Captain Bitters.

"Now see here, rogue! I don't care-" The captain started.

Said complaint was interrupted as he was bodily lifted from his feet by his shirt and slammed into the nearby stone wall hard enough to knock the wind from him.

"No, _you_ listen. I will stick to your plan. And I will listen to your orders. Something your superiors told you to do when referring to me. But don't think for one moment that you're better than me or some such bullshit, because up here, everything you know is just that: shit."

"How dare-"

Kyle slammed him into the wall again. "How dare I? Look around, moron. I've fought for these walls, these men. I've cried as we buried our dead, and I've bled as I took arrows and claws meant for those still alive. I could run you through right here and now and none of them would question me. And I could tell them you merely _looked_ at me the wrong way, and you'd wake up just in time to slip below the waves of the harbor."

Bitters' eyes widened, and he started to struggle once more. Kyle moved one hand from his collar towards the dagger on her belt. "_Quit_, Captain." The Captain stopped struggling, and Kyle nodded. "Quit while you're not too far behind. Nobody has to know about this, unless you want them to."

The dwarf looked around (as best he could while held against the wall by someone twice his height) before sighing and nodding.

Kyle let go, watching the dwarf fall to the ground and slowly climb back to his feet. "I am not your enemy Captain."

Bitters scowled, wiping dirt from his knees. "Are you sure? Because after that-"

"_Unless_ you decide to make me one." Kyle interrupted. After a brief pause to see if the captain would say anything else, she continued. "When this mission is done, you will never see me again." 'And I will never have to see you again,' she thought with a frown. "Until then, let's work together against the Scourge, alright?"

"Work with you, or around you?" He asked resentfully.

Work with me," Kyle said slowly, before putting one hand on her dagger, "or I work with someone else."

"I see," the Dwarf said, eyeing the glowing blade with no small amount of trepidation.

"I'm glad. Call for me when it's time to depart. I have preparations to make," Kyle said, before stalking off. She ignored the grumbling coming from behind her.

Xxxxx

"What's up?" Matt asked Kyle, as he and Serenity arrived in the back room of the lodge across from the keep. The three of them had quickly usurped the storage room as a private meeting place, and most of the regulars there knew about it. They also knew that to intrude or interrupt for all but the direst of emergencies was a decidedly bad idea.

"We might have a problem with the Captain," Kyle said, before filling them in on the briefing.

Serenity nodded after the explanation. "I did say that dwarf was trouble," she pointed out.

"Trouble is a private with poorly-fitting armor. On a mission this important, a leader like that is a disaster waiting to happen," Kyle retorted.

"Do we want to make sure he's 'unavailable' for the mission? I know some of my boys would jump at the chance. He's already made an impression on the men." Matt's face darkened as he recalled the details of the reports. "He'll be confined, and unharmed, until we we're through." The paladin smirked at a thought. "Though I doubt anyone would be able to find him."

Kyle scratched her head, before looking at the ceiling in thought. "No... As much as it pains me to admit, he knows more about this bomb than I do, so we'll have to trust him enough to get the job done." She turned to focus all her attention on Serenity. "That said, however, I don't like the fact that he's separating us from you."

"You think he means to-" The queen started to ask, shocked.

"Nonononono! Nothing like that. I think it's the opposite. He wants you to live, and us... well... If not before, I'm sure now he's wondering just how he can get away with it. So I thought it prudent to warn you."

Serenity nodded. "I'll keep an eye out. You two just be careful."

Kyle smiled. "Hey, it's me!"

Matt groaned. "And here we go again."

"What?" Kyle asked, before waving it off. "No big deal, really. Napoleon isn't that brilliant. I-"

The door to the room was thrown open, revealing Captain Bitters and a pair of armored soldiers. "What the hell's all this?!" he shouted.

The trio looked up calmly from their position in the middle of the room, seemingly unperturbed at being discovered.

"Is there a renewed scourge assault at the main gates?" Serenity asked.

The unexpected question put the dwarf off-balance, interrupting what he was going to say next. "Wha- No!"

"Is another sea monster bearing down on us from the ocean?" Matt quickly followed up.

"Of course not!" Bitters said, face turning red in anger.

Kyle frowned. "Then you have five seconds to close the door and leave us alone before we make an example out of you," she said, giving them an out as a courtesy to a fellow officer. "Five."

"Now see here! I've had just about-"

"Four," Serenity said, over his tirade.

"-and if you think for one second-"

"Three," Matt continued quietly, looking bored.

"-another thing coming! I'll have you know-"

"Two-one-goodbye." Kyle said, before kicking the dwarf hard in the chest. The blow sent him flying back into the arms of his surprised guards, and Kyle quickly stepped forward and pulled the door shut. "Let's see if he gets the hint."

Serenity reached for her staff. "I doubt he's enough sense to," she muttered. Sure enough, the door flew open again, and the guards now stood, weapons drawn, behind a fuming captain Bitters.

He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could...

"MY GOD IN HEAVEN! WHO ON THIS EARTH DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, BARGING IN ON A MEETING OF YOUR SUPERIORS, CAPTAIN?" Kyle bellowed in her best drill instructor voice.

"AND YOU TWO," she shouted, turning to the guards who had taken a step back in surprise. "PULLING WEAPONS ON OFFICERS OF THE ALLIANCE IN A BATTLEFIELD? YOUR PARENTS MUST BE ROLLING OVER IN THEIR GRAVES AT THE IDIOCY, BECAUSE NOBODY WITH CHILDREN AS STUPID AS YOU WOULD WANT TO LIVE ANOTHER DAY BREATHING THE SAME AIR AS YOU TWO."

She took a breath, before frowning. "STAND AT ATTENTION WHEN I'M SPEAKING, OR I'LL HAVE YOUR GUTS FOR GARTERS!"

Too stunned to protest, the armored figures straightened up, Captain Bitters' orders utterly forgotten.

"GOOD, YOU HAVE SOME BRAINS. NOW DROP AND GIVE ME FIFTY."

They blinked behind their masked helmets, and Kyle leapt at them, pushing past the captain hard enough to bounce him off the wall. "_I SAID DROP_, SOLDIER!" And she threw one to the floor, plate armor crashing as the soldier landed painfully on his face. The other went for his sword, but was too slow, as Matt smacked him upside the (armored) head with his shield. Kyle turned around and threw that one to the floor, so they both lay there side-by side.

"FRONT LEANING REST POSITION!"

Matt, feeling some pity on the surprised guards, got down before them in the classic pushup position. "Like this," he stage whispered.

"UP!" Kyle commanded. Matt lifted himself. The two guards quickly followed.

"DOWN!"

"UP!"

"Lady Serenity, if you would, please see to it that these fine upstanding Alliance Soldiers show us their dedication to the cause, the Captain and I need to speak again, it seems."

Serenity nodded. The two soldiers looked at each other, as if asking 'what the hell,' but before they could do anything, Serenity, voice even more commanding that Kyle's, continued the cadence. "DOWN!"

"UP!"

Captain Bitters stared at his backup in shock. Then something stood before him.

"Hello again, Captain," Kyle said darkly, before grabbing the Dwarf's shirt and throwing him into the back room. "We'll just be a minute," he tossed back to Matt and Serenity, before ducking into the room and closing the door behind him.

Serenity forced down a smile as she heard a few dull thuds, a couple shouts of pain, and the constant, booming shouts of one pissed off night elf. Even as she ordered the two wayward soldiers outside to run laps (with Matt as overseer) she couldn't help but grin at the sound of feeble protests coming from the dwarf, before Kyle again drowned the dwarf out, this time loud enough to be understood through the thick wood.

"-you EVER try this shit with me again, shorty, I will personally flay the skin from your bones before dipping you in the salty sea and charging admission to everyone you ever annoyed! I will summon up the spirits of the dead so that they can enjoy watching you suffer, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

Bitters' response was unintelligible, but made obvious by the next outburst.

"Be glad it wasn't your _neck_, Captain. And I use the rank warily. How you advanced beyond Peon is beyond me!"

Serenity opened the door and stepped inside, secretly pleased that Kyle, even in a rage, knew her well enough to not even bother turning, merely nodding once at her presence.

"But... Peon is a horde rank!" The Captain blubbered through an obviously broken nose.

"I KNOW that, you imbecile. I meant... Well, you couldn't possibly understand what I meant, because insults seem to go in one ear and out the other. As do things like advice, orders, and COMMON FUCKING SENSE."

Serenity blinked, holding back the healing she was about to start.

"You _can't_ talk to me this way! I'm-"

Kyle had had enough. "NO? I CAN, AND I AM." She took a deep breath, before pointing to him. "Captain, I'm putting you on notice. You screw up again, and I will have you tried for gross incompetence, dereliction of duty, and criminal negligence on the field of battle."

"I haven't done anything yet!"

"Yet? _Yet_!? Sweet Jesus man, _listen_ to you. You make it sound like you _intend_ to screw up. This is _war_, Captain! People are dying out there every day, and your mistakes can cost even more lives. _Lives far more valuable than your own._ I won't see good men thrown away due to your stupidity. You will come on this mission, and when it is over, you will get on the boat and head back to Stormwind."

"My orders are for me to-"

"YOUR ORDERS ARE RESCINDED! FINISH MISSION, GET ON BOAT! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"

"I... Perfectly. But... You don't-"

"I will talk with General Arlos. And he will agree with me. And if you question the validity of my rank again, I will torture you for the information needed to use that bomb, and then throw you into the sea after applying a liberal amount of small cuts all over your body."

"But there are sharks-"

"OF COURSE TH... Oh, fuck it. Serenity, heal this idiot, I can't stand being in the same room as him any more."

"I can't really blame you," the Queen of the Silver Millennium said, even as the end of her staff started glowing with a silvery light. "I think a good night's rest as well?"

"I'll leave that up to you. I have to get to the practice fields before I tear some poor private a new asshole," Kyle growled, before stomping out the door.

"She... She can't do that!"

Serenity smirked. "I believe she just did." The queen gave a cheerful wave. "Nighty-night!"

Captain Bitters only had a moment to express his shock before the heavy, bejeweled end of her staff collided with his face hard enough to render him unconscious.

Serenity looked around the room, belatedly realizing she was alone. "Drat. Now I'll have to go find someone to drag out the body." She sighed wistfully. "That shouldn't have felt as good as it did."

Xxxxx

Author's Notes (Magus): At first, I was like "new character everyone can enjoy!" but then I was like "I need someone to hate. Everyone's been so good (or a bad guy that we could stab later)... I need some internal conflict." And lo, Captain Bitters was born. My apologies to any military/ex military people reading this and wincing at the "drill-sergeant" scene. It was fun, but most of what I wanted to write would have been.. over the top? Not that this wasn't, but I watered it down a little, and beefed it up, too. Like some sort of watery beef stew... Hmm... Okay, maybe not.

Aurthor's Notes (Tannim): I'd like to thank our readers for putting up with us as long as you have; especially you non-WoW players. As you can see we're hurrying things along, hence the time skip, and hopefully things remained coherent. Please, feel free to send back comments and corrections to tannim_murphy at , or taitekikagato at . As always, thanks for reading!

Addenendum (Magus): The time skip serves a dual-purpose: Firstly, it speeds up the fic, without losing anything vital. Secondly, in the event that one of us is wanting to write, but the other is unavailable, we can always revisit this and write little anecdotes or ficlets involving our times building up to the here-and-now.


	13. Chapter 12

"You know," Kyle said, grunting as she ducked to avoid another low point in the cave. "We really had little reason to split up."

"Captains orders," Sergeant Soerta briskly replied, torch held high.

Holding back her initial reply, Kyle finally asked, "You've worked with Captain Bitters before, then?"

Private Jenkins made a sound that could have been a laugh, or an aborted sneeze.

"What was that, private?" Matt asked.

"It's Knight, er... Sergeant Soerta's story to tell, sirs, not mine."

Kyle paused. "That's telling enough, right there. Run afoul of our situationally-myopic mission commander, Sergeant?"

The Sergeants glowing eyes narrowed. "An officer of the Alliance does not speak ill of her commanders, no matter how questionable their actions may seem." She glanced around, before turning to inspect the walls. "However, an enlistee such as myself, might let slip that she would not be at all upset to never have to work with the self-serving runt, ever again."

Kyle sighed wearily. "Private, do you have anything to add?"

Leeroy shrugged his shoulders uncertainly. "I've got nothing to say that I wouldn't want reported back to him. He's mean if he thinks you don't like him."

"Kinda like how a chihuahua will bark at anything they perceive bigger than them? I think we get the picture," Matt noted sourly.

Jenkins nodded. "I don't rightly know what a chihuahua beast is, but that sums up the Captain perfectly."

"Something to bring up with the general when we get back, then," Kyle said.

"Not that you hadn't planned on doing that already anyway," Matt interjected.

Kyle smirked. "Yeah, well. More fuel to the fire."

"Whatever you say, sirs, you didn't hear from me." Jenkins made a sign of the Light. "I'd rather be kept outta that boar-stew, thank you very much."

Matt clapped a hand on Leeroy's shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile. "Of course not, don't worry about it. The Captain will get what he deserves, that's all."

"Listen!' Kyle said suddenly, staring ahead.

Matt strained his elven ears to tune out the ambient sound of three people trying to be silent while wearing plate armor. Kyle was already nearly impossible to hear. "Yeah, I think- skittering?"

"Scourge Nerubians... We're not alone in here," Kyle hissed, pulling her daggers free.

"Spiders. I hate spiders." Matt and the others copied the motion and freed their weapons as well. "And giant, undead spiders are the worst."

In moments, the faint sound gave way to the hissing, aliens shrieks of the undead nerubians as they came barreling out of the tunnel ahead like a water hose suddenly set to full blast.

In the cramped caves, the four members of the scouting team had left behind larger weapons for those that could be used in close quarters, and as they stood shoulder to shoulder against the onrushing tide of undead, they began the grisly task of taking their foe apart, limb by limb by limb.

The Nerubian Scourge was a horrific combination of humanoid and spider; often quite large, depending on the variant, and all had what passed for faces sitting on top of disjointed torsos. Many could cast some form of magic, while others specialized in producing the strong, sticky strands that made up their webs. Luckily, for the four in the scouting party, those that they faced seemed as surprised (albeit angry) to see them as they were. As such most were lowly workers; uncoordinated, weak, and easily killed. It was still brutal work though, and the going was slow.

Matt and Leeroy set themselves up in front, a solid rock of steel for the onrushing tide to break upon their shields as they went to work with their swords and shouted spells. Kyle, a whirling dervish with her daggers, seemingly appeared everywhere at once, making attacks of opportunities against any opponent that showed an opening. All the while Soerta, wielding a mace almost the size of her head, made sure that Matt and Jenkins were not flanked by pulping any nerubian audacious enough to try to get behind them.

The four warriors made steady progress against the onrushing horde until the stream of enemies slowed down to a mere trickle, then stopped entirely. In the lull of fighting, Soerta attempted to dislodge a particularly nasty piece of chitin that had seemingly glued itself to her maul, while the paladins spoke beneficial prayers to heal everyone's minor injuries. Kyle shook an offensive layer of ichor and chitin off her dagger with a grimace, refusing to wipe them off on her pants. She'd learned the hard way just how difficult it was to wash out undead insect guts.

"Well, that was easier than I thought!" Leeroy grinned.

"I doubt it, private," Kyle replied, frowning at the dark caves ahead. Though faint, she could still hear the skittering of many exoskeletal legs, and for a moment, a hollow, insane laugh drifted up to them; the rallying cry of geists. "Yeah, I'd say they're regrouping. Setting up a place to ambush us up ahead, since this tunnel gives us too much of an advantage."

Sergeant Soerta grumbled, "A troubling thought. If they're being directed..." She trailed off, earning a nod from Kyle. "You're right. There's something else down here calling the shots. We're not just up against mindless undead aggression. Stay alert."

It was, of course, at that moment that she heard a muffled, aborted yelp from behind her. Kyle spun, just in time to see the ichor-smeared greaves of the sergeant disappear into a surprisingly well-hidden hole in the ceiling.

"... Matt. Did our sergeant just get pulled up into the ceiling by bug-like monsters?" Kyle asked, flatly.

"Yes Kyle, she did." The man looked angry and perturbed, but held his frustration in check as he couldn't really do anything about it.

"Good. I was afraid I'd been knocked out and was mixing my situation with my favorite movie. Hand me a grenade?" Without taking her eyes off the hole, Kyle took the grenade, a ball of green metal called 'fel-iron' with an explosive middle and a quick burning fuse, and lit it on Soerta's fallen torch.

"Wait! You're not going to-" Private Jenkins cried, even as Kyle chucked the grenade into the hole and ran to hide behind the two plate-wearers. There was a flash of light, a surprisingly muffled boom, and suddenly the whole cave was shuddering and chunks of rocks fell for a moment, before everything fell calm again.

"How... How could you do that?" Jenkins asked, aghast.

Kyle frowned at him, wiping away some blood from a cut a fallign rock had opened on her forehead. "Trust me. What she had to look forward to was something I wouldn't wish on my most hated enemy. I was doing her a favor."

"She's right. I'd hate to face Soerta's corpse on the field of battle. Or even worse, a Sergeant-turned Death Knight," Matt supplied, softly.

Jenkins looked at the hole in the ceiling, now apparently blocked by some fallen debris, and simply nodded. "Very well. To come to such an end, though..." He knelt in prayer for the fallen, before standing back up and frowning at Matt. "Umm, sir? Why... Why did you call Commander Jaessica 'Kyle?'"

Matt glanced at Kyle, who shrugged back. "It's... a code," he finally said reluctantly.

"A... Code, sir?" Jenkins asked, skeptically.

"It's private, private," Kyle interrupted. "Without the Sergeant, we're in a bit of a jam, We need to continue to clear the cave ahead, but if they can enter this tunnel from caves like the ones above us, they can circle back behind us... which means clearing the way is pointless."

"And?" Matt prodded. "Your point is?"

"MY POINT IS... that we should really head back and meet with the bomb team. Seven will fare much better than three," Kyle growled. "Jenkins, lead the way, Matt will follow."

"And where will you be, ma'am?" Jenkins asked.

"I'm going to continue in, alone, and hopefully find a good place to set that bomb. I'll catch back up," Kyle explained.

"Wait... you think it's a bad idea to run around in here with only three of us... so you want to split us up even more?" Matt asked, incredulously.

Kyle shrugged. "The path back should be fairly clear. And I can turn invisible. Unless you can too, I think it's safe to assume I'm better off alone."

At this point, Matt wanted to argue, but he'd already seen Kyle in action over the intervening years to realize that her claim was true. It had constantly astounded the man just how easily she could sneak through enemy lines and appear seemingly anywhere at will. It was also the best chance they had of reaching the bomb site with at least a modicum of forward intelligence.

"But sir!" Leeroy objected. "That's suicide!"

Matt put a hand on Jenkin's shoulder and shook his head. "Don't worry about her, son. She can take care of herself." He steered the lad away from their current position and back towards the way they came, while Leeroy threw one last uncertain glance back at Kyle before continuing down the gloomy path.

With that, Kyle watched Matt disappear into the murky darkness of the cave, waiting a moment for the glow of the torch to fade around a corner, before shifting into stealth and moving forward. Despite the utter lack of light sources, the cave seemed dimly illuminated to the Night Elf, which had been a pleasant surprise, back when it had been discovered. Finding out that they (and he -now she-)had what amounted to night-vision without the goggles was a welcome addition to her arsenal. An addition that she now employed to steer clear of whatever traps and foes lay in wait ahead.

Unfortunately, She'd only made a couple dozen meters worth of progress when the clatter of armor moving quickly was heard coming from behind her.

Pressing up against a wall, Kyle waited, unseen, until Matt and Jenkins came into view, running as if the hounds of hell were behind them. Unfortunately, that description was somewhat applicable, as a trio of demonic dog-like beasts, feet and head ablaze with magical fire, came around the corner after them. Kyle cursed, Some things, like the undead, she could hide from practically in plain sight. But those demonic dogs had been reported before by scouts. Reports that detailed an unwelcome ability to rogues everywhere: detect invisibility.

Still, Matt and Jenkins could easily dispatch the four-legged creatures. That didn't explain why...

"Oh, shit," Kyle said, as a veritable horde of ghouls, geists, zombies and nerubians rounded the corner as well. With her stealth and the option to hide utterly out of the question, Kyle dropped the technique, fading into sight just ahead of Matt.

"Don't ask, just RUN!" Matt screamed.

As Kyle fell in beside them, he shouted "How the-"

"I SAID DON'T ASK!"

Kyle shut up and ran.

After a good couple minutes later (which felt a lot longer, considering the terror of the moment) Kyle gasped between breaths. "I think. There's an opening. Ahead!"

The light ahead seemed somewhat brighter, and even Jenkins and Matt, unaccustomed to the darkness and requiring torches, could tell that there was a light ahead. Then Kyle realized what color it was and cursed. Pale blue. They were headed into the underground Kingdom of the Nerubians, utterly overrun with various undead.

Still, there might be some way out, or at least some way to even the odds ahead.

Finally, they entered the cavern, a wide, bowl-shaped room with steep upper walls of sculpted ice and stone. It would have been beautiful, if not for the spider webs everywhere. The center of the room was dominated by a structure shaped like a twisted fantasy fortress, its architecture distinctly nerubian in design, and on the very top of it, watching them as they ran into the cave, was a huge beetle-like Nerubian.

Unfortunately, of a far more pressing concern was the fact that their cave opened up on the cavern near the upper, steep slope, and whatever staircase or bridge that had once led inward was absent.

With a yelp, Kyle fell as her foot landed on nothing but air mid-stride, and Matt and Jenkins hardly had time to react before they too were falling.

The only saving grace was the majestically carved walls that slowly curved in towards the walled ziggurat. There was a lot of rolling, a lot of bruises, but the well carved stone and it's gentle curve left them relatively unharmed. Especially when they landed in the frigid, stinking pool of standing water at the bottom of the cavern, forming a ring around the room.

Kyle gagged on the putrid tasting water, coughing as she fought back the urge to vomit, and she just knew she'd have to get any cut treated soon, before infection set in. Matt and Jenkins were slightly better off, protected in some way by the thick metal armor they wore. They too rested in the pool of water, but aside from what had seeped into the armor through the joints, they were spared Kyle's fears and disgust.

"Ahh, it appears our guests have arrived," a voice cried out. Trying not to wobble on shaky feet, Kyle turned to look up at the Nerubian she had spotted earlier. Unlike the spider/centaur creatures that usually attacked, this was a crypt-lord, a bloated scarab-beetle-like creature with no true humanoid features. Which made it's echoing, alien voice all the more unnerving, as it spoke accented (to the point of sounding almost regal) English.

"What have we here?" it chittered. "Smells like a delicious snack. ATTACK, MINIONS, AK-CHKCHKCHK-TA! BRING ME MY DINNER!"

"I dunno, you look like you can stand to lose a few pounds," Matt replied snidely. All he got in reply was a string of unintelligible angry hisses that did not sound complementary.

The three of them braced themselves as the undead came at them; a small party of skeletons that fell to their weapons far faster than expected.

"Well... that was weak. Might as well work our way to the top," Kyle said, kicking one of the skeletons at her feet.

"Work our... oh," Jenkins said, seeing another group of undead coming towards them. As teams of undead came at them from ahead, behind, and the sides, they worked their way towards the staircase leading up to their enemy leader.

When they reached the base of the steps, the Nerubian Crypt-Lord looked down at them and waved its chitinous limbs in anger. "How can this be? I Am Anub'Zakak! Scourge Lord! DIE MORTALS!"

Unfortunately for him, his opponents failed to die, instead decimating the few scourge he had on the platform with him. Those that tried to come up from behind where picked off as they advanced, some taken apart by weapons, others roughly shoved down the steps, where a precarious tumble would (and did) result in broken bones.

Finally, they reached their objective, and without further ado, began to assault the Crypt Lord. Jenkins and Matt held its attention, their larger weapons smashing chitin and knocking pointed exoskeletal feet out from under it, while Kyle darted around the body, daggers whirling around her to slice into leathery joints and stab into weakened cracks in the armor to deliver noxious poisons to it's softer innards.

Much to their annoyance, Anub'Karak was willing to give as well as he got, and both Jenkins and Matt were forced to use what healing spells they knew when a particularly devastating hit made it past their shields, or Kyle failed to properly dodge a flailing limb. After several minutes of this, both parties were looking under the weather, but no clear victor was yet apparent. That was when their fight was interrupted.

LIGHT!

Silver light danced throughout the cavern. As quickly as it began, the beams of light converged as one on the Crypt Lord.

"AAAAIIIIIIEEEEEE!"

The monstrosity screamed as its hard carapace blackened and smoked. With its attention off of them, Matt, Kyle and Jenkins moved in for the kill. Before it could sufficiently react, Matt and Jenkins began to pour their own magic on the burnt area until it burst into flame; silver and gold flames that crawled across its form until Anub'Zakak's entire body was engulfed. Within moments, the Crypt Lord was on its back, legs twitching in the air.

Kyle turned to look at where the glow had come from.

"SERENITY!" Matt shouted with a fierce grin.

The Queen of the Silver Millennium nodded down at her friends, before holding her staff aloft once more. While the three had carved a nasty swath through the undead on their trek to Anub'Arak's platform, there were dozens more scattered throughout the cavern, and the mindless undead began to recover from the shock of Anub'Arak's death and started to converge on the three living beings most visible in the center of the cavern.

"Undead _filth_," she hissed, glaring at the mob around her friends. Behind her, she heard Captain Bitters telling her to stop drawing the horde's attention to them, but she ignored him. Kyle and Matt were in danger, and she would not fail them. "LEAVE MY FRIENDS ALONE!" Her words reverberated in a resonant echo across the cavern, voice boosted by the sheer power she was drawing together.

The glow from her staff returned, but unlike before, where multiple bright beams illuminated the room like myriad spotlights, this time a single beam inches wide lanced out, searing into the walls and floor of the cavern as it darted erratically around the room. Any undead caught in its path exploded in a cloud of dust.

When the light stopped its motion and faded out, glowing magic circles covered many exposed areas of the cavern. Nodding once at the array before her, she knelt swiftly, speaking in a low tone, in a language nobody present could understand.

"I hereby claim this land In the name of the Moon;  
Of Peace. Of Prosperity. Of Power.  
For within these lands life the source of my rule; my people.  
For within these lands live that which is worth dying for.  
For within these lands live those worth killing for."  
For Peace, let no friend go wanting.  
With Prosperity grant those who work upon the land full bounty.  
In Power shall the enemies of those who belong be _swept away._  
The Sovereign of these lands demands it."

The magic circles flared once, the same silver light that had shone from her staff reaching out of the very ground, moments before an unseen force sent the remaining undead flying. Outside, they might have survived, but underground, the power that had swept them up deposited them into the sides of the fortress with enough power to pulverize bone. In a matter of seconds, the chamber was clear of moving undead; only their rotting bodies sliding to a halt against an unseen barrier that began where the edge of the magic circle had been moments ago.

Xxxxx

"Nice shot, Highness!" Matt cheered. "Perfect timing, as usual."

Serenity smiled back cheerfully. "Well, I couldn't let you boys have all the fun."

"We could have taken them," Kyle muttered half-heartedly. "We had 'em right were we wanted."

Matt rolled his eyes. "Right; surrounding us so we could attack in all directions." The three gave a small laugh at that, though Kyle and Matt's laughter was tinged with relief. Serenity's arrival had been damnably well-timed.

Captain Bitters interrupted the moment with a loud 'harumph.' "If you three are done grinning like idiots, we've got a bomb to place!" He looked particularly angry that Kyle and Matt survived, where his hand-picked warrior had not. "If you don't hurry up and finish helping me arm the damn thing, I'll let the lot of you blow up with it!"

He began muttering as he stomped angrily down the rocky slope towards the center of the room. "Couldnae even take down a Crypt Lord on your own. You're all as useless as that mush-for-brains Sergeant I sent with you three. Probably fell on her own sword."

"Sergeant Soerta died on _your_ orders, Captain!" Jenkins said with a scowl.

"Watch yourself Private!" Captain Bitters replied, hotly. "You're not much better than the space goat," he said, before a boot sent him sprawling.

"The Sergeant is barely an hour dead, and you dare speak ill of her?" Matt said softly, even as his eyes burned with fury.

"Sergeant Seorta's family died when we crashed onto your planet. Despite her grief, she chose to help the Alliance, knowing it was for the greater good. And this is how you treat her death?" Corporal Hartaz asked, the burly draenei's face also showing barely-restrained rage.

Kyle, shot the captain a disgusted look, which was mirrored by Serenity, before she placed a hand on the draenei's shoulder. "She died clean, and is with her family now. She will not be a puppet for the lich king, and I will personally see to it that she is properly honored when we return. The Captain, in this instance and many others, speaks not for the alliance or even his own race."

"How dare you presume-"

"HOW DARE _YOU,_" Serenity shouted. Before Bitters could recover, she leaned forward into his face, crystal blue eyes boring into his like diamond drills. "You will proceed with the preparations silently, or you will face a wrath unlike any this planet has ever seen. _do you understand?_" she said, her voice dripping with contempt, even as it echoed with the command of someone who had been and was at times still considered a god in another world.

Captain Bitter's hindbrain was a lot more intelligent than its fore. It recognized that if it wanted to continue living with all its appendages in place, it needed to shut up and start working. It was therefore with remarkable restraint, and much surprise to the rest of the party, that he silently stood up without further comment and motioned for his detonation team to move forward. "Lets get this thing set up and get out of here," he muttered. "The sooner we finish this the sooner I can be rid of the lot of you."

Matt shrugged at Serenity, who was looking back at him with a pained expression. "Well, I suppose that's about as big a miracle as we could expect out of that guy," he quietly whispered. "Maybe we'll actually be able to blow this joint and go home."

"Where's technician Nobbs?" Kyle asked, looking around for the diminutive technician. In the bustle of getting the bomb onto the platform and ensuing argument, she'd missed the fact that he wasn't present.

Serenity's frown was all the answer she needed.

"He died on the way in," Hartaz said. "He was... taken while scouting," he explained, though his pained expression gave Kyle reason to doubt that explanation. Serenity nodded, though she didn't think that was truly accurate. The little gnome had heard a noise a head, and unthinkingly run off to investigate. The rest of the bombing team had arrived in time to see the gnome torn asunder by a pack of geists that scrambled off after a pair of ghouls. All of the scourge seemed to be intent on chasing something, but a few had broken off to attack them. Hartaz and Serenity had taken care of most of then, Bitters keeping back "to protect the bomb," until the path was clear once more. From that point on, they'd encountered no more undead, and only after arriving at the mouth of the cavern had they discovered why.

"Useless!" Bitters shouted. "Without me, this whole plan would have fallen apart!" He grinned the vicious grin of a bully that discovered an ounce of leverage against a weaker opponent. "They'll give me my due, at least, when we return. I'll be the hero!" He sniffed in distain as he turned his back on the rest of the party and began tinkering with the device. "Unless, of course, one of you knows how to operate gnomish engineering? Ha! I thought not!"

Matt physically restrained Kyle from moving forward to attack the dwarf's unprotected back. "Hey, he's working. Let him have his moment of imagined glory."

"I'll shove his glory so far up his imagination he'll be spitting rainbows and farting unicorns," Kyle muttered in anger. With a huff she calmed down and backed off. "Whatever. Lets just get out of here before-"

"Who dares lay claim to _my_ lands?" An impossibly deep voice ground out.

Kyle blinked as she recognized the sound. "Oh, come on out, Arthas. If you're going to whine and bitch about this, you might as well give us something to point and laugh at, as well."

Captain Bitters started to gibber quietly. Everyone ignored it, as a glowing orange-and-purple portal opened up and a phantasmal Lich King stepped out of the summoned Death Gate.

"Oh, now that's just cheap. You send a mere shade?"

"Umm... Commander? Why are you antagonizing _the most powerful being on the planet?_" Private Jenkins hissed.

"Because he's not."

"You think you are more powerful than I?" The Lich King growled.

Kyle shrugged again. "I never said I was. But really, all you do is tell corpses what to do. Whoop-de-friggin-do. Nozdormu can travel through time. Five minutes, and he could kill your mother before she even met your father. Deathwing's minions still cause trouble, and everyone thinks he's dead. Kil'jaden MADE you, and I'll bet if you two went toe-to-toe, he'd wipe the floor with your face."

As she spoke, the blue glowing eyes of the Lich King narrowed in anger with each example she gave.

"But you know what? It doesn't even matter. Sooner or later you will fall. You're evil. It's just the way things work."

"Enough prattle. You will serve me in time, Night Elf. As will all the other living things on this planet-"

"What about Outland?" Kyle interrupted.

"ALL WILL SERVE ME," the Lich King shouted.

"I'd serve you some turtle soup, but I don't know if you have the taste buds to appreciate it," Matt commented wryly.

"ARGH!" The Lich King bellowed, shaking his phantasmal fist at them all. "Your days are numbered mortals. Everyone dies. And when you do, you will be _mine._"

"Oh, listen to the big bad. 'Everyone dies.' Tell me, moron; what does that say about yourself?"

Arthas, who had started walking back to the Death Gate, paused. "I am beyond death."

Kyle just smirked. "And that is why you fall. 'Arrogance borne of ignorance,' as it were." She shrugged. "Farewell, King of dust. We will not meet again."

The Lich King stepped into the gate, which collapsed behind him. Kyle shook herself and then turned to the others. "Okay, hurry the hell up. He's going to send everything he can here, and we need to be gone when they arrive."

"Why would you antagonize him like that?" Serenity asked.

Kyle smirked. "Because as soon as that bomb goes off, anything he sends our way that isn't destroyed will be buried under a mountain, and out of the fight."

The others all suddenly looked more enthusiastic, aside from Captain Bitters. "You've endangered our lives and the mission! When we get back to base, I'm reporting you to the general for-"

"You will report it to the King of Stormwind when you arrive back in the Eastern Kingdoms, as per our prior arrangement. Otherwise, you will report it to the Lich King, if he manages to put you back together when this bomb blows your body to pieces," Kyle spat, pointing her dagger at him.

He growled, but stayed silent before turning to the bomb and pulling out a few bloodied sheets of paper. Matt glanced at Serenity, who merely shook her head.

As the dwarf fiddled with the device as the paperwork apparently told him to, Corporal Hartaz made his way over to one of the many entrances to the cavern, before turning. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we're about to have company!"

As he shouted this, he took a step back, even as a ghoul launched itself at him. Falling back with the attack, the ghoul found itself impaled upon his sword, a moment before his shield truck it with enough force to crush its rotting skull in. At that moment, the caves all around them began to expel undead at a truly horiffic rate, and even with Serenity's consecrating effect on the ground killing the weakst ones in droves, more and more continued to enter the room, until the dead bodies formed a barrier between the still-moving undead and the ground that sought to kill them.

"That's got it. No stopping this thing from blowing up now!" Captain Bitters cried as he stood back.

"Unless some undead manages to smash it to pieces," Matt replied, even as he caught the swing of a nerubians forearm on his shield and retaliated with a sword-thrust through the chest. Being undead, the nerubian wasn't too injured by this, until Matt channeled some of Elune's power into the sword while it was still imbedded within the fiend. It gave a raspy screech, before toppling onto its side.

Across the cavern, another shout, this one far more pained, rang out, and the living people within the cave turned to watch Hartaz get dragged down into a pile of ghouls, skeletons, and more, swinging even as he was obscured by the undead around him.

"Son of a bitch," Kyle said, even as she flicked her wrist and embedded another of her throwing knives into the single eye of an oncoming geist.

"Commander! There's too many of them!" Jenkens cried, blacking up slowly so that the oncoming tide of undead didn't flank him as they had Hartaz.

"Aye, lass. 'Tis only one thing we can do," Captain Bitters said, trying hard to look like he was making a touch decision. "As the Commander, you should stay behind and prevent them from sabotaging this weapo-" He was cut off as a rock bounced off his thick skull, thrown by an angry looking Serenity.

"How dare you suggest any of us stay behind!" She said, even as she unleashed another bolt of silvery magic that turned a trio of undead to ash.

Kyle frowned, looking at the oncoming crowd of undead. "Actually, he might be right... I think I underestimated just how many undead he had down here."

"He could be gating them in, like he did earlier," Matt supplied.

"Well then, Commander, are ye going to stay and do yer job?" Captain Bitters said with a little smirk.

"Well, Captain, it was your idea, and your bomb. Maybe I should make it an order?" Kyle sniped, wondering just how she'd survive something meant to bring down a (mostly-hollowed-out) mountain.

"I'll do it."

Everyone paused to look at Jenkins. He nodded, as if reassuring himself, before looking Kyle in the eyes. "It's the enlistees job to die for their officers, right, ma'am?" Before anyone could refute it, he continued, "The Alliance needs officers like you, Commander. You and the Lieutenant and Lady Serenity."

"And me, laddie?" Bitters asked, hopefully.

Jenkins just laughed. "I don't trust you enough to protect yourself, much less a weapon as important as this." As he said that, he pointed to the bomb with his shield-hand, before moving to step beside it.

Bitters growled and took a step forward, before he felt a razor sharp blade press up against his throat. "The Private is saying he'll _die_ so that your worthless, useless carcass can leave, and you're going to attack him?" Kyle hissed in his ear. Bitters froze, before stepping back slowly. "Good luck Private. Light be with you." Though insincere, Jenkins nodded at the Captain, before turning to look at Matt and Kyle.

"It's been an honor serving with you two. In the little time we worked together, I think I understood why the King trusted you so." He turned to Serenity. "Lady Serenity, these two obviously care about you a lot, from what I've seen and heard. You yourself are a force to be reckoned with. Would that I could do half the magic you could, we might have all made it out of here. As it is..." He closed his eyes and bowed his head, a short sigh escaping his lips before a short prayer. He looked up then, renewed strength in his eyes, as he glanced at everyone. "May the Light continue to guide and protect you and yours. Go, sirs, ma'am. I'll handle things here."

With that, Jenkins turned towards the oncoming crowd of undead, before a shimmering field of energy surrounded him and a pair of golden wings appeared behind him.

Kyle took a moment to salute the soldier, a move followed by the others, before the four turned to run down the tunnel they'd entered the cavern from.

"How much time does he have?' Kyle asked, not quite as winded as before, since the dwarf had relatively small legs compared to her.

"Four minutes or so. The note said it would explode with the force of two-to-twenty kaituns of gnomish explosives," Bitters explained.

"What the hell's a 'kayton?" Serenity asked.

"It's on the note. Probably a gnomish word."

"Wait wait wait..." Kyle said, frowning. She did not like what she was hearing. "Was that 'kaituns.' or 'k-tons?'"

"'kaituns!'" The dwarf cried.

"LETTER 'K' THEN 'TONS,' OR 'K-A-I-T-U-N-S?'" Kyle bellowed as they ran.

"The letter then the word, lass! Why are you hollerin? Are you trying to draw their attention!"

"Matt-"

"I heard."

"Now would be a great time for some divine intervention," Kyle said, voice uncharacteristically weak.

"Kinda hard to pray and run at the same time."

"We're trying to outrun a nuke. Learn FAST."

Matt grunted before he took on a golden glow, much like Jenkins had before.

Suddenly, the four of them found themselves speeding up, the walls practically blurring as they raced out of the tunnel at a far faster speed than was natural. "It worked!" Matt cried out.

"You think?" Kyle snarked back, even as she saw the cave ahead growing lighter.

"We're almost clear!" Bitters said, still unsure why they were so worried. The bomb couldn't hurt them from this far away.

Kyle was the first one out, but considering their speed, the ghoul that had been waiting above the entrance only had time to blink before all four had exited, and were on their way down the hill towards the keep.

Spotting a rocky outcropping, Kyle veered towards it, and ducked behind it, Matt and Serenity following. She hoped the bomb wasn't as powerful as the upper projections had been, but knew it would probably exceed them.

"Damn Gnomish engineers," Kyle muttered, before taking stock of their location. "Serenity, this may seem undignified, but trust me; I need you to lie down here," she pointed at a shallow furrow in the ground at her feet. "Face-down, and cover your head with your hands."

"I-" Serenity was about to protest, when she saw the look in Kyle's eyes. Her friend was a few steps away from terrified. Without saying anything, she got down on the cold ground and covered her head. A moment later, she let out an undignified squawk as two bodies got down on top of her, Her left covered by Kyle, and her right covered by Matt, both of whom were doing their best to cover her as completely as possible.

"What are you three doing? This is no time for any of that!" Bitters said, stepping out from behind the rocks to look at the mountain. "There's undead coming!"

"I'll take my chances, now get down you moron! The mountain is going to blow!" Kyle yelled, before apologizing to Serenity and Matt, whose ears she had just shouted into.

"Ha! No bomb is that powerful. It'll bring that cavern down, but I doubt the mountain will change that much. You're nothing but a coward in the end, Commander!" Bitters taunted, before turning around and heading towards the Keep. With as much of a lead their goddess-given speed had granted them, he should be safe within the keep long before the majority of the scourge arrive.

Kyle took a moment to look back at the Captain, blissfully wandering down towards the keep, before ducking her head again. "Remember how I said the Horde build their base within a rocky crater in the middle of the Borean Tundra?"

Matt and Serenity both "Mmmhmm"-ed in response.

"Currently, there is no crater..."

Before either could respond to that, the ground trembled, and then HEAVED, and only their prone position kept them from being thrown. As it was, they had the wind knocked out of them, even as an earth-rending BOOM echoed throughout the land, the sky darkening as tons of dirt and rock were thrown into the air by the explosion.

Where once a mountain had stood, there was now a crater ringed by the outer remnants of the mountain. What hadn't been pulverized began its steady descent to the land below. Kyle and Matt both winced and endured as rocks and other hard bits of mountain and undead began falling on them, some large enough to bruise. Thankfully, their position behind the rocky outcropping kept the larger, deadlier pieces off them.

Unfortunately, not everyone had listened to Kyle's advice. Captain Bitters was only halfway to the keep when the bomb went off, and the lurch as the shockwave passed under his feet had tossed him to the ground a moment before the blast began to rain rocks on him. "Ha-ha! A little rock won't hurt me! I'm a Dwarf! The Earth itself yields to my kind like..." He trailed off as he spotted a boulder the size of a large house appear through the dirt and dust in the air heading straight for him.

Before he could say anything else it landed, putting an end to the Captain, even as it rolled down the mountain towards the keep. When it finally stopped a hole had been knocked in the right side of the outer wall, but no damage had been done to the actual Keep itself.

Kyle and Matt waited a few minutes before climbing to their feet. Bits of rock and dirt were still raining down around them sporadically, but the loud thuds and shudders had stopped a while back.

"Well... lets not do that again, okay?" Kyle asked, as he helped Serenity to her feet. Serenity's robes were dirtied in the front where she had lain on the ground, and she tried wiping some of it off before giving up as she managed to smear it around and make it worse.

Kyle's backside was covered in dirt as well, and every time she moved, dirt, dust and small pebbles rained out of the folds, creases and joints in the heavy leather. Matt, wearing plate, managed to brush the majority of the dirt away with a swipe of his cape, before turning to look at Kyle.

"So... The Horde are going to... Build their base in that?"

Kyle shrugged. "Looks that way. At least my memory of the geography wasn't as wrong as I had thought."

"So it would seem. Still, next time you find yourself questioning your memory like that, please let us know," Serenity said, frowning at the thought of how much work it would take to get the mud out of her robes. Up here in Northrend, even the nobles had to do their own laundry.

"I suppose we should find the Captain and return to base," Kyle said, frowning down at the Keep. "Damn..."

"What?" Matt asked.

"There's a huge hole in the wall. I guess even the keep wasn't far enough away to avoid damage," Kyle explained.

"I hope the guards on duty weren't hurt," Matt muttered, obviously worried.

"Only one way to find out. We need to report in," Kyle said as she began picking her way through the field of debris.

"We also need to report Sergeant Soerta's death, as well as Technician Nobbs, Corporal Hartaz, and... Private Jenkins."

Kyle paused, before shaking as she stifled a laugh that threatened to escape her. "Private Leeroy Jenkins," she said, before snorting. "Despite all my fears, he lived longer than the others..."

"And was damn heroic, in the end," Matt reminded her with a frown.

Kyle nodded, her mirthful grin replaced with a wistful one. "He did die a hero. How many scourge do you think he held off for us to escape and the bomb to destroy?"

"More than we'll probably ever care to know," Serenity said.

"Sounds about right," Kyle muttered, before grinning again. "Of all the things to have been wrong about..." She sighed. "You did good, Jenkins. Godspeed."

She paused, before turning around and looking at the ground she'd just stepped on. "Ugh. I think I found the Captain."

Matt, crouching over an impressively deep crater about twenty feet back, nodded. "I think I did, too."

Serenity looked between the two, before clearing her throat. "I suppose we should bring him back to be buried properly, like the others..."

Kyle shook her head, looking at the wet mess in clothing she was standing beside. "If I were a guy right now, I'm not so sure I wouldn't be relieving myself on him... as it stands, I just survived a close encounter with a nuke. I'm afraid I don't have the energy to..." Kyle trailed off as she stared at the mess some more. "Hmm. Bottle him up, I suppose."

"Should we say something?" Matt asked.

"Here lies Captain Bitters. He died so that others may live in peace," Kyle snarked.

"I like it." Serenity said.

"That works," Matt added, before straightening up. The mess he'd found was not something wanted to stare at too long. It would make eating a bit difficult. "Better than he deserved, anyway."

Kyle stretched lazily as the activities of the day caught up to her, and the fatigue adrenaline had been keeping at bay finally set in. "Well, lets hurry back and report in. I can't wait to leave this place behind us."

Serenity and Matt nodded in agreement as the three headed off towards the keep at a slightly more sedate pace. Behind them, the remains of the small mountain smoked and sizzled as it settled into the crater that remained.

Xxxxx

Author's Notes (Magus): Sorry about the delay. Work changed on me. Hours. Job Security. Whether I have any employees under me at all. Great way to ruin the writing mood. Or a sleep schedule. Or Timely car payments.

Anyway. Here's the new chapter. Up above. Hope you enjoyed it.

Author's Notes (Tannim): It also didn't help that I got a new job working for the US Census, and all my hours are in the evening. At any rate, we're excited that we've got only a couple of chapters left in Azeroth. And don't let Magus fool you, he's been working hard on this and future chapters, despite his troubles.

Anyway, let us know what you think about the story so far!


	14. Chapter 13

General Arlos watched the trio enter the hall with some surprise. His smile collapsed into a frown when nobody else followed the three in. "Am I to assume you're all that remains of the two teams?" He asked, wearily. Serenity nodded slowly, and the General merely sighed and shook his head. "I suppose it's to be expected... At least the mission was successful." He glanced at a window set into the wall in the back of the room, and the pile of glass shards on the ground below it. "Though I suppose everyone from here to Stranglethorn is aware of it." Shaking himself from his introspection, he turned to look at them again, before letting another sigh out. "I can tell I won't like your debriefing... Very well. Lets hear it."

Kyle took the lead. "As the General is no doubt aware, the scouting team entered the Scourge caves ahead of the bombing team. Sergeant Soerta was ambushed from above by a Nerubian and as per standard policy, rendered useless to the scourge. Following a brief altercation, both teams were reunited in some ruins of the ancient nerubian empire, where a scarab lord lie in wait. The bombing team arrived in time to assist in dispatching the scourge leader, and the weapon was placed. After the weapon was set the Lich King arrived as a shade, I proceeded to taunt him in an attempt to draw in more scourge casualties. Private Jenkins elected to remain behind to protect the weapon from Scourge tampering after Corporal Hartaz was overwhelmed. Technician Nobbs..." Kyle paused to look at Serenity.

"Technician Nobbs was killed by geists on the way in," she offered quietly.

Kyle nodded, before continuing. "Captain Bitters explained the weapon's potential explosive capacity during our exit, and I made a command decision to prepare for the worst. Unfortunately, the Captain chose not to heed my advice and thus paid the ultimate price."

The General withheld a snort of derision at that. Whenever someone had died in a particularly preventable manner, the Commander waxed poetic about their death. It had bothered him at first, the casual disrespect for the recently deceased, but over time, he'd come to realize that the Commander only used it for those that truly died for naught, usually by not following the orders or advice from their superiors.

"On a personal note, sir," Matt spoke up, "I'd like to recommend the enlistees for posthumous promotions. Jenkins died a heroes death, and both Soerta and Hartaz died to ensure the mission was a success. Without them, it's likely we'd have been overrun on the way in, and the mission would have failed."

"I will have to run it by Highlord Fordragon at least, as posthumous awards are not something a general can hand out on the battlefield, but I see no reason why it would be denied." he paused, then looked at Kyle. "For the sake of our dwarven allies, Commander, I have to ask what truly happened to Captain Bitters."

Kyle winced. She'd expected this, but couldn't come up with a valid explanation that would absolve the captain of his idiocy. Not that any of them cared, really, but if the negative report got back to Ironforge, it might ruffle some beards.

Fortunately, the problem was taken out of her hand as someone spoke as they walked through the door rather brazenly. "If he acted as I suspect, it's likely he died trying to save his own hide and ignored the suggestions of his betters."

"Highness!" General Arlos cried in surprise, before kneeling. Kyle, Matt and Serenity followed him to the floor, though Sereinty with some hesitation. She wasn't used to kneeling for anyone.

"None of that! I came as soon as the blast reached Stormwind. By the light; a mountain reduced to rubble with one weapon! That we could have a dozen more to unleash upon our enemies." The king said as everyone stood back up. "I'll deal with Ironforge. It doesn't leave this room, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I had expected an outcome like this."

"You mean... you sent him here-" Kyle started to ask, scowling.

"I sent him here to assist. I personally gave him orders to listen to you three, and to obey his chain of command. That he is not here means he either failed to listen, or we failed to train him," King Wrynn explained.

"I'd say a little of column 'a', a little of column 'b.'" Kyle muttered.

General Arlos frowned. "Are you saying the Alliance Military does not prepare it's soldiers properly?"

Kyle blinked. "No?" When the General bristled at this, she explained further, pointing. "Out that broken window are hundreds of soldiers willing to die for the Alliance. You cannot train that; it's a matter of faith. They trust those around them to work together, to cover their backs. That's trust. And were they to see an incoming arrow about to take their king in the chest, they'd step in front of it gladly. That's respect. Any soldier can be taught to soldier, but virtues like those? You either have them, or you don't. It's not a matter of training, it's a matter of individuality and teamwork. Captain Bitters had no respect for his superiors. He had no faith in his men. And he had no trust in the ability of others. He died as he lived; alone."

"That's... quite the viewpoint, Commander," King Wrynn said, frowning, but with an understanding nod. The night elf's insight sounded accurate. However...

"Aye, it is. But I fail to see how you can fault the Alliance's training for his failures, when you yourself said the virtues he failed to uphold were unteachable," Arlos pointed out.

Kyle shrugged. "They can't be taught, but they should damn well be noticed. You can watch any soldier in the Alliance for mere minutes and see examples of teamwork. Captain Bitters had none. Yet he came to Northrend as a Captain, able to challenge, brush off, or undermine all but the most senior of officers here. If your leaders abroad had been trained to watch for problems like this, it would not have been a problem. Bitters would have arrived a private at best, a sergeant at worst. That he was a Captain..." Kyle shook her head in disgust.

"Actually, he might have been better off as a Civilian advisor. Even Privates are required to work as a part of the team," Serenity stated.

King Wrynn looked annoyed, before turning to Matt. "Do you have anything to add?"

Matt shrugged. "I think they covered it pretty well, your highness."

General Arlos groaned. "Milord, please don't think too ill of them. They did just return from a fairly trying ordeal."

The King nodded. "I know that. They've enough dust on them to tell me that at a glance. It's a rare thing, a King chewed out by a Commander, a Lieutenant, and a Noble. Even moreso for them to be absolutely correct."

"Well," Kyle mused, "it's not as if the King has personally seen to it that the Alliance Military fails at so important an aspect of training. Those below those below him should have seen to it. So," she said, turning to King Wrynn, "don't take my complaint as if it were directed at you, sir." After a pause, she glanced at the General, then the King again. "Exactly what brings you to Northrend anyway, Highness?"

King Wrynn smirked. "Blowing up that mountain was quite loud. We heard it in Stormwind, and I had quite a few mages react to the blast, as well. Not to mention some visiting druids. I had been expecting a report about the destruction of the Scourge encampment, but the report of the blast? I had to see it for myself. I'll be leaving for Stormwind Keep again shortly, once my mages are rested from transporting us here, but until then, there are some details I'd like to discuss with General Arlos here... As well as those in charge of training..."

"By your leave, then?" Serenity asked.

The King nodded, before turning to Arlos and engaging the general in conversation.

As the three exited the debriefing room, Matt noticed one of the soldiers beckoning him closer. It was Sam, his first sergeant. He was wearing a grin and looked practically giddy.

"Excuse me, it appears I've got some business to take care of," Matt noted. At Kyle and Serenity's nods he parted from the group and walked towards Sam, who was at this point hopping from one foot to the other with excitement.

"I take it preparations are going well?" Matt said dryly.

Sam hugged himself with glee. "You don't know the half of it sir! When I spread the word of this little get together around, I had a better response that I could have hoped for! To begin with, you wouldn't believe the amount of drink people had stored away for a rainy day! Addin' in to the fact that we've got a lot of talented men here that're willin to provide the entertainment! I say we've got a right proper send-off in the works we do!"

Matt motioned with his hands for his sergeant to calm down, but he couldn't help but grin himself. "All right, all right, it's going to be spectacular. Great. Just tell me when and where to get the Commander and her ladyship and we'll be able to start the party."

Xxxxx

Several hours later...

"Matt, why are you taking us back to the main hall? I was kinda looking forward to sleeping. You know... Before we head out into the wilds so we can go home?"

The man shrugged without a hint of guile. "Apparently we've been called to talk to the King one last time about our plans."

Serenity turned her eyes heavenwards. "Whatever it is, it could at least wait until morn-"

"SURPRIIIIIIIIIIIIIISE!"

Both Serenity and Kyle took a step back in shock as several tens of soldiers and various civilian workers cheered at them from inside the hall. The place, which had been decorated garishly from whatever shiney bits of metal or colorful pieces of cloth that could be gathered within such a short period of time, assaulted their eyes as they took in the spectacle.

"I thought the King knew I didn't like to talk to large crowds..." Kyle muttered to Serenity, tongue-in-cheek.

Serenity giggled in shock and amazement. She turned to Matt with a small smile that threatened to escape into a full-blown grin. "All right, out with it. What is going on here?"

Matt nodded towards the assembled crowd and waved at a few of them to get things going. "Just a little something for the men, in the disguise as a victory celebration and farewell bash for us. Apparently they were eager to show their appreciation for all our hard work this past year and a half." He turned to Serenity, a smirk adorning his features. "And I figured one night of revelry wouldn't kill anyone."

"Well, I suppose, since they've already set all this up, it would be rude not to participate," Kyle said, finally. With a smile, she made her way to the lavishly loaded table, trying hard to smother the protest at the abundance of fresh food they'd just gotten off the boat the other day, and proceeded to nibble at the tastier looking dishes.

Serenity, for her part, had made her way towards the crowds, intent on mingling with those she'd come to see as her surrogate people. Back home, she'd spent the majority of her time hoisted on a pedestal and kept from going elbow-to-elbow with the common people of the kingdom, but here, in her role as officer, she'd been face-to-face with hundreds of people, and now, she used what she had learned of them all to brighten their spirits and exchange friendly words of respect and admiration.

Prompted by a few of the men, Matt entered an ad hoc drinking contest with several of the toughest and strongest lads in the guard. They had finished their second round and had started chugging their third when the appearance of someone at the entrance to the hall interrupted them.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?"

The booming voice echoed through the party, and with all the speed of a sudden heart attack festivities ground to a halt. Everyone looked towards the speaker in shock as the King of Stormwind himself, Varian Wrynn, stood before them with a glower on his face looking particularly unhappy.

"How DARE you have a party... Without inviting your KING!" His face instantly changed from anger to mischievous in a blink of an eye as he stepped fully into the room, and grabbed a drink off of a nearby table. Looking around at the people still frozen in shock, he motioned with his glass. "Carry on, then."

It took a few nervous chuckles and one roaring laughter from Matt for things to pick up again. Kyle, Serenity and Matt all made their way to the King, who looked like he was thoroughly enjoying himself.

"Ah, it was a bit of a surprise for us as well, your majesty," Kyle nodded towards Wrynn, before punching Matt on his armored shoulder. "There were some dissenters amongst us who felt that sleep just didn't cut it when it came to recuperation."

"Are you kidding? This is much better than those dreadfully dull cocktail parties I have to throw every few months to keep the local nobles in check. At least here I can actually enjoy myself for a change."

Serenity nodded in agreement. "I understand completely, highness. Back home we had similar functions, and I fear they were possibly even more dull than yours sound."

Wrynn looked pityingly at Serenity, before grabbing another drink off the table and pouring her a glass. "Care to join me for a drink then? Shared misery and all that?"

Serenity smiled and took the glass. "I'd be honored."

As things really got into full swing, a succession of soldiers and civilians began a series of variety acts. First up, a mage pulled a rabbit out of his hat, which in turn un-polymorphed from a rabbit into a rather irate cook who proceeded to chase the mage around, much to the amusement of the onlookers. Next, a juggling act ended badly when the soldier juggling the knives was distracted by a pretty waitress. He had to be taken to the infirmary with minor cuts to his hands and a knife in his foot. After that a trio of soldiers got everyone's attention with some flashy magic, before proceeding to tell a variety of relatively lame jokes.

Kyle, having been handed a few glasses of alcohol already, groaned loudly at the: "a guy walked up to me and said, 'I'm a teepee, I'm a wigwam, I'm a teepee, I'm a wigwam!' and I said 'Relax, man! You're two tents!'" Amidst the groaning his "get it? Two tents, too tense?" explanation was all but ignored.

"Think you could do better?" Serenity asked, smiling.

"At jokes? Not without offending someone," Kyle said.

"How about at entertaining in general," Serenity offered.

Kyle's eyes narrowed, and she looked down at the mug in her hand. "I may have had a couple drinks, but I'm not drunk enough for a repeat performance."

Without warning Matt appeared at Kyle's elbow with an enchanted microphone in hand and a wounded puppy-dog look on his face. "But, but, but everything's already being prepared for you!" He pointed towards an area that had been cleared, where a band was currently setting up. "See?"

Kyle's scowl deepened. "I said no, Matt."

"Don't do it for him, do it for _them_," Serenity said, waving her hand at the crowd, who had grown quieter, each one with an ear in their direction, and looks of obfuscated inattention on their faces.

"Uh-huh... Right. And what, exactly, will I be doing for them?" Kyle asked.

Serenity smiled. "Well, entertaining. Providing them with something to hold on to when we depart.

"... You're not going to let this go, are you?" Kyle finally asked, looking at the sparkle in Serenity's eyes, and knowing she was doomed to singing again.

Serenity shook her head.

"Fine. But if I'm singing, then so are you two," Kyle demanded.

Serenity looked somewhat taken aback by this. "I'm not sure I know any songs-"

"You're _how_ old? You have to know something." Kyle interrupted, before turning to Matt. "And as for you, don't even think about protesting. If you can play a lute for the songs I know, then you know the words to quite a few, as well."

Serenity nodded while Kyle's head was turned, but went back to looking innocent and confused when the night elf's gaze returned to her. "In fact... Lets be a little more grandiose... since Serenity knows as little of our music as the crowd here..."

"Wait a second," Matt started to protest.

Kyle just grinned darkly, "Oh no. You're in this with me, _buddy._ For every song I sing, so do you. The good Queen Serenity here will chose the topic about which we sing. And the crowd will decide which of us chose the better song."

"Sounds like a fair competition," a new voice interjected. Kyle was about to tell the interloper to butt out, before realizing it was King Wrynn. "How about it, friends? Lets see what these two can do to inspire us!" He asked the now-silent crowd.

They weren't silent for long.

Kyle, voice nearly drowned out by the cheering, buried her face in her hands, "what have I gotten myself into?"

After the stage had been set up, and the band was ready to go, Serenity took the limelight first. "Tonight, Commander Jaessica and Lieutenant Tannim are going to break their strict outer shells and show you that even the most dedicated of soldier can let loose every once in a while. Indeed, my two friends have shown me time and time again that to be the best, you _have_ to unwind. So tonight, they're going to let loose for all of you, in a sing-off that will leave you in charge!"

Kyle stepped onto the stage, motioning for Serenity to give her the mic for a second. When it was in her hand, she nodded at the still-cheering crowd. "Thank you, thank you... You! I saw that. Latrine duty next week! Just kidding." As the cheers and laughter died down, Kyle's face went serious. "Before we begin, I'd like to say that all of you have made me proud. And yet... And yet this is less than half of those I've been proud of. For every man and woman here today, dozens, hundreds have fallen to the scourge, to evil, and in defense of those they loved. So tonight, lets not just celebrate that which we have here today. Let us celebrate the lives of those who have left us to be with their ancestors. And let us thank them for the sacrifices they made for you, and for me, and for everyone here on Azeroth today. A moment of silence, I believe, is appropriate."

The crowd grew silent at this, and Kyle paused for an appropriate ten-count, before speaking again. "Well then, I suppose it's time to sing. Serenity, what's our first topic?"

Serenity took back the offered microphone and turned towards the crowd. "Well, given your prior speech, I suppose we should start off with something everyone is familiar with. Not that I want this party to be a sad one, but 'Loss' seems an apt starting point. After all, from there, we can only go up!"

The crowd cheered at that, not too upset by the topic of choice. Of course, years of ongoing warfare had jaded them somewhat, so this was not a taboo subject, by any means.

Kyle watched the crowd for a moment, before nodding. "Alright then. Loss it is."

Matt, electing to go first (at Kyle's harshly whispered insistence) made his way to the bright-eyed band. With a frown, he asked them if he'd met them before. "Of course, Lieutenant Tannim! We're the band who played for you in Darnassus years ago. We remember the songs you taught us, and have practiced what we could, building on what you showed us."

"I... See..." Matt said, not really.

Sensing his confusion, the dwarf grinned again, "When word went out that you were planning a party for after your mission, one of my cousins used up a lot of his pay to contact us and get us up here as soon as possible. The fee for a mage to bring us was ghastly, but with this crowd, I'm sure we'll recover our losses!"

Glancing over a the crowd, who in their enthusiasm started banging their steins and stomping their feet, he couldn't help but agree. "There's certainly our share of men with plenty of back-pay and no leave to spend it on... I'm sure they'll be able to part with some of it if we put on a good show. Anyway," Matt leaned in closer to be heard over the rising din of the crowd, "lets get on with the first act of that show, shall we?"

If Matt feared that he would be performing with a sub-standard set of musicians, he was pleasantly surprised. Each player had indeed mastered their chosen instrument, and could in fact switch between a couple on the fly, depending on the need for the song. It also appeared they brought more than enough to spare. Even their rate of learning was astounding; all it took for the band to get the gist of the song he planned on performing was a few minutes of explanations and verbal cues when to switch beats. As they were also more than happy to lend him a guitar to play, he felt confident in being able to lead playing the song with this group of talented players at his back.

Finally, Matt stepped up to the center of the stage and raised his hands for silence. "I'd like to start off with a song that is dear to my heart. This goes out to everyone who has lost those closest to them."

At this proclamation the crowd quieted down, some with expressions like they were starting to sober up. They gave their attention to the band as they started the intro to "I Miss You" by Incubus.

"To see you when I wake up, is a gift, I didn't, think could be real. To know that you feel the same, as I do, is a three-fold utopian dream. You do something to me... that I can't, explain. So would I be out of line, if I said... I miss you?"

The crowd, exposed to a song they'd never before heard, cheered loudly as it concluded. Kyle took the time to make her way to the band, greeting them with confusion as she'd been a little too inebriated last time, before explaining her simple song for them to play. When they gave their nods of understanding, Kyle made her way back to the center of the stage, smiling softly at the waiting crowd.

As the solo instrument started up, Kyle waited for the intro to finish, before she started. "Would you know my name? If I saw you in heaven?"

"Well," Serenity said, as Kyle finished, "it seems the crowd is somewhat torn, both songs seemed to speak to all of us. Instead of forcing the issue, I think we should press on and enjoy the next attempts to break this starting tie." The crowd cheered in response, and Serenity nodded to them with a smile. "The next topic should be something fun. I'm torn, however, between just plain silly," the crowd cheered at that, though it was driven more by a desire to hear more songs than preference for the topic. "Or maybe drinking songs-" Serenity couldn't continue, as the cheering grew to a deafening roar at that. When it finally died down, she spoke again, "Aaand I think it's been settled. Drinking songs."

There was a pause from the two singers, as they mulled over their options. Or option, as the case was with Kyle. 'Drinking songs? Really?' She asked herself, before turning to look at Matt. There was only one song about drinking... Kind of... That she knew. And Matt looked about as at-a-loss as she felt. So while the crowd waited and cheered, Kyle slid over to the Paladin, and quietly suggested a slight deviation, to which he nodded eagerly in response.

"Well, it looks like... huh," Serenity said, as they both approached her. Matt took the microphone this time. "Despite the abundance of choices, we decided that there is only one song truly appropriate for this occasion, a song boisterous enough that only the alliance deserves to hear it."

"Indeed," Kyle muttered into the mic.

"So, without further ado... lets get the band ready!"

As the band was being coached on their roles by Kyle, Matt motioned towards a surprised General Arlos and King Wrynn and beckoned the two towards him. With bemusement the two listened to him as he asked their participation, and at their agreement he described their roles in the chorus, which was simple enough to follow along. Both men looked cheered by the prospect of participating in such a fashion, especially the King.

Finally, Kyle motioned to the crowd to quiet down, and as they did, she handed the mic to Matt, who was flanked by General Arlos and King Wrynn.

Matt suppressed a smile, before counting down quietly. When he hit zero-

"I GET KNOCKED DOWN, BUT I GET UP AGAIN, YOU'RE NEVER GONNA KEEP ME DOWN!"

The three of them nearly shouted, the crowd cheering after a beat. As the song Tubthumper continued, the cheering became singing, as the relatively easy-to-remember lyrics were repeated.

When things finally drew to a close, Serenity had to duck a flying mug before taking the mic back.

"Well, it would seem their decision to work together was well worth it. And than you, King Wrynn, General Arlos; your participation only made the song that much more enjoyable!" The crowd opened up with further cheers and a few catcalls as the two smiling men took their leave of the stage.

When Serenity had regained the attention of the crowd, she spoke again into the mic, not even bothering to stifle the smile on her face. "Quite a song, wasn't it?" She asked, before pausing as the roaring again threatened to drown her magically amplified voice out.

"Well, I suppose it's time for the next set of songs. Let's see... after that, I think the only appropriate follow-up should be 'Battle!'"

With a hearty cheer, she turned to her two friends, who stared at her with someone shocked looks on their faces. Or was that loss?

Kyle, for her part, was coming to a painful realization. Every song she knew about fighting was about fighting for love. All one song. At least, the only one she could think of off the top of her head. Glancing at Matt, she couldn't help but her her wince at the rather smug grin splitting his face. Apparently he didn't have the same problem she did.

Kyle made her way to the band, who watched her with knowing smiles. So far, even at their most nervous, these two had given them far more songs to pass along than even the most diligent of musical muses. Despite her worried look, they knew Commander Jaessica would deliver something unheard of, and therefore profitable.

After coaching the band as best she could, Kyle took the stage, after Serenity had finished whipping up the crowd. Before she could run away, the band started, and she sand, hoping the novelty of a new song would cover her somewhat half-hearted attempt at singing. This was such a horribly corny choice.

"Woooooaaah We are strong! No one can tell us we're wrong!"

Doing her best to keep the audience happy by dancing as she sang, Kyle quickly and efficiently belted out "Love is a Battlefield," wincing internally the entire time. When it drew to a close, the audience cheered in approval, obviously not as displeased as she had worried. With a glad smile, Kyle bowed, before handing Serenity back the mic.

With a confident smile and smooth gait Matt boldly walked towards Serenity and silently asked for the microphone. She handed him the object with a raised eyebrow, wondering what, exactly, he had in mind. He just smiled wider at the unasked question and indicated she'd just have to wait and see.

After coaching the band for a few minutes on what beats to keep, he picked up his own lute and began the intro for his song. When the first notes started, Kyle buried her face in her hands. How in god's name had she not thought of that one?

"Risin' up! Back on the street. Did my time, took my chances. Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet, just a man, and his will, to survive!"

The crowd went wild. Much as Kyle had expected the moment the song had started. "Eye of the Tiger... how the hell did I forget that one?" she muttered darkly as the song came to an end.

When the crowd finally finished cheering, Serenity strode back onstage, taking the mic from Matt with a flourish. "Well, much as I hate to say it, it looks like Matt has pulled ahead in this round. Wouldn't you all agree?" She pointed the mic at the crowd, which did it's damndest to blow Serenity off the stage with sound alone.

"Well then, I hope you two have something special in mind for this, because it's the Final Round! And what better finisher than the topic you've been hinting at all night? Soldiers of the Alliance, King Wrynn of Stormwind, I give you our final topic; 'Love!'"

There was a pause as the crowd digested that, but it uickly began cheering again as her point was made. Almost every song so far had been about love, even if it was love of drinking. As the audience got more into it, Serenity turned to Kyle. "Hopefully you can turn yourself around with this. Ladies everywhere are going to feel a little put off if a guy upstages you." While it was spoken softly, the mic in her hand let the words travel, and there were a number of wolf whistles suddenly, while the female soldiers all shouted encouragement to Kyle.

With a smirk, Kyle motioned towards Matt. "I'll do my best, but this is a high-elf. The guys can damn-near out feminine females."

The crowed laughed at the byplay, and Matt suffered the laughter with a grin.

Kyle waved at Matt. "Let him go first, then. I need time to prepare myself. I have a secret weapon, but I need time to prepare it."

Serenity gave Kyle a curious look, but nodded before turning to Matt and handing him the mic.

Matt nodded at them, before turning to the band and spending several minutes trying to get the nuance of the music down pat. The song he had in mind had a much slower beat than their previous fare, and he realized it didn't have quite the ambiance he would have liked without electric keyboards this particular number, but he hoped it would work out anyway. When he finally felt confident, Matt moved forward to the stage started into his one of his most beloved love songs, aptly titled "Lovesong," by The Cure. The particular version he was trying to emulate was a cover performed by 311. It was filled with bittersweet notes and of implied hopeful reunions, but by far the chorus was his favorite part.

"However far away, I will always love you. However long I stay, I will always love you. Whatever words, I say, I will always love you. I will always love you..."

When Matt's song came to a close, the crowd cheered wildly, Serenity smiling as she came back out on stage. "Nothing but the best! I should have expected. That will most definitely be a tough act to follow. Much less to wrest the score back to a tie. Do you concede defeat, Commander? Or is your plan every bit as imressive as you imply it will be?"

Kyle sauntered over, doing her best to act as calm and in control as she could. Taking the mic with a flourish, she winked at the crowd, before grinning. "I'm not sure about the horde, but here in the alliance, we don't know the meaning of the words 'conceding defeat.' You want a love song that will win this competition? I'll give you a song that will be remembered for a thousand years!"

The crowd cheered at this, and Matt frowned. What, exactly, was Kyle planning on singing?

"In order to make this perfect, however, I need a little time to prep the band. This is a delicate sort of song, and unlike the improv we've had so far... which, I must say, has been astonishing. Most of the time, I would have never guessed this was their first time playing it."

"And the rest of the time?" A heckler from the crowd called, to some laughs.

Kyle grinned again. "The rest of the time, it was something I'd had them practice, so they obviously weren't!"

The crowd laughed and Kyle handed the mic back to serenity before making her way back to the band.

Finally, after a short intermission, Kyle took the stage, the room growing quiet as it prepared for what she had continually insisted was going to blow them away.

After a moment of silence, a lone fiddle started, the enchantments on it giving the instrument the volume and clarity needed to reach the entire audience.

"Take me, back into the arms I love..."

"Need me like you did before,"

"Touch me once again;  
And remember when  
There was no one that you wanted more..."

Unlike the songs of earlier, the crowd stayed silent as Kyle did her damndest to match Celine Dion, and thanks to Elune's god-given voice, managed to keep up.

As the song neared its end, Kyle waved for Serenity to join her on stage, a moment before singing the first of the final vocal bits that have no real name, but are really long "ohh"s that tend to leave amateur singings out of breath before reaching the end.

As the first one drew to a finish, she motioned for Serenity to sing with her, and the queen, almost as much to her surprise as everyone else's, joined in.

Finally, the drummer struck his instrument four definitive times, the band stopped, and Kyle looked out at the crowd with a small grin. "Well?"

The roar was deafening. The entire list of songs sung had been unheard on Azeroth, and many had spoken to the gathered members of the alliance in one way or another, even if had just been to entertain.

But that last one had been something else. Even moreseo, because Kyle, disliking being on stage, had finally relaxed enough to sing with confidence. "I guess all those times singing along on the drive to and from work helped," she muttered to herself, with a grin. The other songs had been fun, but that was one of the few she utterly enjoyed. Hopefully she'd done it justice.

After a full minute of cheering, Serenity had to wave the crowd down before she could be heard. "Well, I take it the crowd approves?"

Another roar, and Serenity's grin grew. "I guess then that the Commander delivered as promised. It looks like this contest has resulted in a tie. Congratulations, both of you!"

Matt and Kyle looked at each other, shrugged, and bowed to the crowd, secretly enjoying the cheers that went up again.

Matt stepped forward, and Kyle waved him on. "I'm stepping out for a bit," Kyle said, before heading for the side of the stage, where she could get to the exit. All those people watching her had gone against almost everything both Jaessica and Kyle stood for. Rogues weren't supposed to be seen, and Kyle was far to introverted to ejoy being in front of a crowd for an extended period of time. Once outside, she leaned on one of the oversized parapets, and stared out over the moonlit northrend sea, the lighthouse off to the right occasionally bathing a wedge of the ocean surface in its ever-revolving light.

Of course, her internal musing was cut short when there was a sound from inside. Not just a sound, a song; one painfully familiar, and bad enough to elicit a groan even as Matt's voice carried out to her. "Oh, God, Matt... how could you..." It became particularly bad when he reached the chorus.

"Never gonna give you up! Never gonna let you down! Never gonna run around and, desert you! Never gonna make you cry! Never gonna say goodbye! Never gonna tell a lie, and hurt you!"

She settled for burying her face in her hands until he finished.

"Thank you, Azeroth! You've just been Rickrolled!" Matt yelled to the cheering crowd.

"I get the obscure suspicion that Azeroth being 'Rickrolled' is not the greatest of honors," Someone said, frightening Kyle out of her musings.

Glancing over, she shrugged before responding. "Well, your Highness, it's not easily explained... Lets just say that just say that what was promised was far greater than what was delivered."

"And when nothing is promised, but something delivered all the same?" The King inquired.

Kyle smirked. "Then Azeroth, or really _The Alliance,_ got a freebie."

King Wrynn chuckled. "So it would seem." he glanced out over the ocean for a moment, before sighing. "I hear from General Arlos that you're to be leaving, now that this task is complete," he asked.

Kyle nodded softly. "Yes, I think I mentioned it before, but we have a task to complete here in Northrend."

"You did. And I must say, for someone not in my army, or even human, you set your task aside far longer than I had expected. You truly saw this through to the end."

"I'm an elf of my word," Kyle replied with a smirk.

"A credit to the night elves. I'll not forget it." He paused. "Nor shall it go unrewarded. I've set some land aside for you and your friends. The work you did here should be recognized; you set an example for the men and women both here and abroad. I'd be remiss in my duties as leader of the Alliance not to reward you for a job well done."

Kyle, however, shook her head. "As honored as we would be, highness, when we complete our task, we will be leaving Azeroth behind. And all our hard work will be swept away by the adventures of those to come after us."

"The sacrifices made here should never be forgotten. And you speak as if you go to your deaths. Where did your bravado go, the attitude that impressed Master Shaw when you stood up to a black dragon despite your apparent lack of power to back your words up?"

"Oh, don't count on me dying, Highness. When I say another world, I mean it quite literally. And I will rest easy knowing those who died here will not be forgotten. But I ask that you spare the land you set aside. Or, if I may be so bold as to make a suggestion; please sew the land with grain and stock it with cattle."

"Oh? To tell me what to do with my land _is_ quite bold. Though it sounds to me like you know of yet more fighting in our future."

"Beyond Icecrown? I can only speculate. But tell me; when was the last time a lasting peace was established and maintained? In the end, the drums of war sounded again, and the peace was shattered. Azeroth..." Kyle paused, and smirked, though it was laced with bitterness. "Azeroth is a world of warcraft. Peace is an impossible goal. But just like the moth chasing the moon, it is forever in our nature to pursue it with all the powers we possess. To do any less would be to fail the generations to follow."

The King thought about his young son, back in Stormwind Keep, and turned to look out over the ocean again. Finally, after a couple minutes of silent contemplation, he responded. "I've never heard of it described as such, and I doubt I ever will again. But Azeroth, indeed, seems cursed to suffer an unending cycle of war and peace. I will think about what you've said. And I will see to it that the land is prepared for war."

Kyle shook her head. "No, your Highness. See that it is prepared for peace. That one word... Makes all the difference."

Kign Wrynn paused, frowning at being corrected by a commoner, but knowing she was right. "And so it does. So be it. 'For Peace.'"

Kyle grinned and nodded. "For the Alliance."

"And let none forget it," he said, before turning around and heading back inside.

Kyle spent another five minutes outside, thinking over the events in Azeroth, and the implications they had on the future, before the chill northrend air became too unbearable. Ducking back inside, she found the party still in swing, though thinned somewhat. Not seeing Serenity or Matt around anywhere, Kyle shrugged, making the rounds and socializing before heading off to bed.

Xxxxx

Kyle woke up to a rather odd THUD coming from the other side of the room. The private room she and Serenity had gotten (through much arguing and insistence) was usually pretty quiet, and Kyle rolled over to see what the commotion was. Then she froze.

"Umm.. Hi." Matt replied, nervously, as he held his shield up to hide himself from Kyle's eyes. Eyes the size of dinner plates.

Behind Matt lie a blushing Serenity, doing her best not to stare at Matt's uncovered backside, Kyle's shocked look, or be too obvious in her attempts to look elsewhere. Needless to say, she failed miserably.

Finally, Kyle's thoughts started back up. "Right.. This... Is a drink-induced dream. I'm going to wake up any minute now," she muttered, rolling back over and trying to hide in her pillow.

Unfortunately, it was for naught, as Matt, now aware that the secrecy was lost, began to noisily pull on his clothes. When he was decent, he tried to appologize.

Kyle didn't respond, merely burying her head under her pillow.

Finally, Matt turned to Serenity. "You don't think she's jealous, do you?"

Before Serenity could respond, Kyle had shot across the room and knocked Matt to the ground with a foot to the head.

"The fact that I'm going to be scarred for life is one thing. To suggest I'd want..." Kyle shuddered, to grossed out to continue. "I'm going to look for a mage," She finally said, walking out the door. A moment later she walked back in. "Just as soon as I get dressed properly," she amended, realizing walking around in her underwear would be rather counterproductive.

"What do you need a mage for?" Serenity asked, trying to stifle a giggle as Matt tripped trying to pull his boots on.

"To wipe the memories of this morning from my mind!" Kyle growled, before pulling on her own boots and leaving the room.

"Huh. You think she wants me?" Matt asked Serenity.

Serenity put her finger to her lips as if thinking about it, before shaking her head. "No... no, I don't think so."

"Oh. Good. Because that would have been weird."

"How so? You're attractive. Otherwise I'd have not... well.. done what I did."

Upon recalling last nights events, Matt figured he was blushing hard enough to reach his toes about now. "Uh, yeah. That was... unexpected."

"Yes... And I'm afraid it can never happen again. It was nice, Matt. And honestly? I think I needed that. After all that's happened... I'm finally ready to finish this; to go home. But this can't continue beyond last night."

It would be a lie to say that announcement wasn't a bit of a blow to his ego, but Matt perked up a few moments later. "Well, at least we're still friends. I think I can live with that."

Serenity nodded. "Good. And Matt?"

He turned to look at her, and she smiled at him, the warmest, most sincere smile she'd probably ever given him, without the bitterness or loss that had haunted her eyes over the past years. "Thank you," she said, simply.

He nodded softly in reply. "You're welcome."

The door flew open, letting Kyle back in. "I'm so glad I'm not going to have to wake up like that again. And no, the Mages could not help me." As she spoke, she moved quickly around the room, pulling everything she'd acquired together and began neatly packing it up. "And Serenity? You're not to talk about it until I get back into my own body, and Jaessica is _out of my head_."

"Umm.. why?" Matt asked, confused.

"Because unlike me, she's asking a lot of questions. Questions _I don't want to think about!_" Kyle answered, shutting her eyes tightly before finally relaxing. "She shut up. For now."

Turning to look at the two of them, she shooed Matt towards the door. "Go get packed. We've got our final debriefing with the General and the King, and then we're off to find the Ginzoishou."

After finishing her own packing, and waiting for Serenity to finish Kyle sat down at the small desk between the two beds and began writing. Despite all her attempts to adhere to the timeline, she'd grown too fond of the people here (or at least some of them) to leave them in the lurch without any warnings whatsoever of things to come.

Finished, she folder it up and set it inside an envelope, and tucked it into her pocket. Then she turned to look at Serenity, who had finished packing and was watching her.

"I'm sorry. You seemed somewhat preoccupied, and I thought it best to let you finish," the queen explained.

Kyle merely nodded. "Ready to go?"

Serenity nodded. "I am. And while I spent many nights here worrying about my kingdom and those within it, I must admit, leaving here..."

As she trailed off, Kyle smiled. "I'm not all that surprised. Even if it isn't _home_, It's definitely familiar enough for us to have become attached to it."

Serenity merely nodded, glancing around once more, before smiling herself. "Well then. It's time to go."

"And so it is," Kyle replied, throwing on her pack and following the queen out the door.

The two of them made their way to Matt's quarters, where the muffled sounds of packing, cursing, clanking metal and shuffling emanated through the heavy wooden door.

At Kyle's exasperated sigh, Serenity chuckled. "Go on ahead. You still have to talk to the King and General Arlos. I'll make sure Matt's ready to go by the time you're through."

"Thanks," she replied, heading off towards the Main Hall. behind her, she heard Serenity slip into the room, and Matt's surprised shout, before the door slid shut again.

"And here she is," King Wrynn said as Kyle entered the hall, Drawing the attention of several others who'd been standing around the map of Northrend on the table.

"And where are your companions?" General Arlos asked.

Kyle shrugged, "The Liutenant is still gathering his things. Probably spent more time saying goodbye than Lady Serenity or I," she responded, truthfully.

"I see. And so we're left with you... An unknown Night Elf who's understanding and foreknowledge despite an apparent lack of initial experience has helped see this undertaking through to..." Bolvar Fordragon trailed of, as he considered how best to describe the time at hand.

"Highlord; much as it pains me to say it, this... Is merely the beginning. You've fortified your positions. You've seasoned heroes and adventurers returning to Azeroth from Outland. And, unfortunately, you've made yourselves the most obvious targets on the planet in doing so. Arthas will soon be on the move, and when he does, no matter how much preparing you've done, the Alliance will still be forced to react."

"And yet, you say you've done all you could for us? Sounds to me like you know what's coming. Moreso, at least, than merely the fact that something _is_ coming," Mathias Shaw pointed out.

"Indeed?" Kyle asked, trying to supress a grin.

"Don't play coy now. If you have information that will save the lives of my people, then I order you to divulge it," the king growled.

"As if I would deny The Alliance. Your faith in me seems questionable, Highness," Kyle said, pulling the envelope out of her tunic with a flourish. "Everything I can think of is in there. Locations, events, names... From the moment your first boatload of... _Special_ reinforcements set foot on Northrend, everything I've forseen is written there."

The king looked down at the envelope in his hand with a frown. "Everything?"

Kyle paused to think it over, before she nodded. "As stated. However, before that, events will transpire that will be required in order to force the hands of those that might not wish to act in the alliance's best interest. However distasteful they may be, I strongly recommend that when the Argent Dawn asks to take up station in various locations throught the Alliance, you offer them as much assistance as you can."

"And I think that's more than enough warning," A deep voice spoke from the center of the room.

A blue-white portal appeared in the air, and through it stepped an aged figure with bronze skin and white hair; a pointed beard hanging over gold-threaded robes. Most telling, however, were the high pointed ears, and infinitely-blue eyes.

"Well well well. Nozdormu? Or an agent thereof," Kyle muttered.

"Just a loyal shepherd of time, interloper. My name is unimportant, but I must take that letter, Varian Wrynn. The future must be allowed to play out as it will; the meddling of mortals only drives the infinite progression of time to snap back ever harshly."

"Oddly enough, despite your claims, you belong to an entire flight with the ability to manipulate time. And the ability to manipulate implies changes. Otherwise you'd merely sit back and watch." Kyle said, even as the letter in the King's hand disappeared, reappearing in the dragon's humanoid hand.

"We are observers and caretakers, mortal! You'd do well to remember that; your squandered immortality was a gift of my lord millenia ago. Surely you've learned something in the years you've lived?"

"I've lived long enough to recognize a pretext when I see one. If you were as all-seing as you claim to be, then you'd know where Nozdormu was. Or who the leader of the Infinite Dragonflight is," Kyle sniped. The King had initially intended to protest the loss of such a useful list, but now listened as the mysterious Night Elf went toe-to-toe, intelectually, with a dragon. And appeared to be winning.

"You are far too well informed to be left alone. Only your ties to a higher power keep me from silencing that mouth of yours _permanently_," the dragon snarled.

"I'd like to see you try, you overgrown lizard! A little _humility_ might do the entire draconic race some good! Certainly couldn't have hurt Neltharion! And it would save the Spellweaver from his upcoming fate, as well!"

"Enough! I don't have to take this from you. I've gotten what I came for. But be warned: any attempts to tell these humans of their futures will not end well for you."

"Oh? Deathwing's little tongue-addling spell not too evil for you to employ? I begin to see just why none but the Lifebinder's words can be trusted," Kyle snarked as the dragon began to summon another portal. It stiffened at her words, but continued its wordless casting, a scowl on its aged features.

"Azeroth will be a much more pleasant place when you and your friends are gone from it. Trust me when I say that my flight is anticipating that moment with _much _enthusiasm."

Before she could retort, it disappeared into the portal. "Bah, dragons. If it isn't red, it's up to no good," Kyle muttered. "Of course, Vael was a red dragon..."

"Surely the Green Dragonflight-" Highlord Fordragon started.

"Dreamers, all of them. Ysera rarely opens her eyes, and the rest... like all dragons, they suffer from the same affliction most non-humans... And humanoids, are afflicted by: blind obedience. Greens live in a world without any of the sentient races. A living dream."

"Doesn't sound so bad," Shaw muttered.

Kyle let out a bark of laughter. "No it doesn't does it? But if you spend countless years in a world that doesn't exist... well... The druids like to say that this world and the other are interconnected. Even if that's true, you can't live your life in a fantasy. You have to wake up eventually. Otherwise, you might as well be dead."

"An... Interesting observation," the King finally said after a few moments of silence. Before the conversation on dragons could continue, however, he brought the topic back around to the present. Or, more importantly, the future. "What did the dragon mean by 'any attempt to tell us of the future wouldn't end well?'"

Kyle smiled. "A spell he cast. If I try to tell you something he doesn't want me to, I'll babble incoherently until I change the subject."

"I'm surprised the spell let you say that much," Mathias Shaw observed.

"Well, it probably would have been cast to stop me from explaining had I never met you before. But their flight has probably been watching me and my friends since we started making a mess of the timeline. They know that you know I'm sane. Making me appear addled now would be pointless. However-" Kyle tried to tell them of the upcoming attacks on Stormwind Harbor by the Lich King's frostworms, but only succeeded in making unintelligible sounds until she gave up with a shrug. "You see? Just remember what I've said... And you should be alright."

"We could always try to get a cursebreaker-" Highlord Fordragon started to say.

"-They're still watching." Kyle quickly pointed out.

"Stop interrupting me. Though your point is valid. Damn," he pounded his fist on the table to punctuate his point, before turning to the King. "Your Majesty, we should return to Stormwind. General Arlos has things well under control here, and I fear we've little time to waste. The Argent Dawn has a guild hall in the city, I'll travel there when we arrive to see if they have any idea of what is to come."

"That a group of paladins dedicated to fighting the scourge will request a presence throughout the Alliance bodes ill for my kingdom," King Wrynn muttered. "Commander Jaessica. Your services to the Alliance have, since we met, been far above and beyond anything I would have expected of the men and women serving the military. That you have done so much, both within the Alliance, and here amongst its soldiers, does your race proud. I may lead the Alliance as a human king, but it's men and women like you that _make_ it what it is today. Gnome or Elf, Dwarf, Draenei, or Human, we're in this fight together, and I thank you for your contributions."

With that, he pulled a small insignia from a pouch in his armor and nodded to Highlord Fordragon, who took up a position beside him. "You may be leaving, but you will always be a member of the Alliance. In two years, you've proven your ability to lead, and your inabiity to abuse the power rank can bestow. Thefore, I'm trusting you with this. You are not a soldier of Stormwind, but at times, will benefit from the position bestowed. Therefore, I hereby promote you to the rank of Marshal. This pendant, while somewhat flashy for your attire, should earn you the respect you deserve at any Alliance-controlled location, in Northrend and beyond."

"I thank you, Your Majesty," Kyle said, bowing. An unexpected boon, but a welcome one. Few Alliance members in Northrend would have questioned her before this; now only a small handful would even consider it.

"I too, would like to bestow a small token of thanks," Mathais Shaw said, stepping forward.

With a rougish grin, he withdrew a small packet from within his armor, the leather pouch held carefully and with respect. "This is a master poisoner's kit. Don't ask me how it was made, but with it, you will never need to stock up on poisons again. All our usual mixtures are in there, but in self-filling bottles."

"That's..." Kyle started, shocked.

"Too good to be true? The bottles take a couple hours to refill, and it takes an entire bottle to dose a blade long enough to last more than a few minutes. Use this when you're sure you're about to fight, and you know you'll need it. When it runs out, unless you have some spare poisons on you, you're going to be fighting dry."

"I'll keep that in mind." Kyle stated with a nod, as she slid the pouch into her own armor.

"I suppose I should offer you something as well, Marshal, but I'm afraid all I have are items meant for paladins. In your line of work, I'm afraid the only use you'd get out of them is for bartering." Seeing the look in her eye, and the grin threatening to split Mathias' face, he growled "And I'm far too fond of them to let them go knowing they'd be sold to the highest bidder!"

"Worth a shot," Shaw whispered to Kyle, just loud enough for Bolvar to hear. The Highlord bristled, but didn't respond, merely shaking his head as if to calm himself down.

"Well then; our business here is done. I've business to attend to in Stormwind, as do Highlord Fordragon and Master Shaw."

"Me?" Shaw asked, surprised.

"Indeed. As our resident spymaster, you're going to find out why a night elf stranded at the end of the world for _two years_ knows more about the threats to our home than you do. Then you're going to correct those shortcomings. Personally."

As the trio left the room chatting with a familiarity similar to that bwtween Kyle, Serenty and Matt, General Arlos turned to look at Kyle with a frown. "You're a good leader, Marshal. The King sees it. I see it. The men here saw it. Losing you will be hard. But trying to continue what you helped start will keep this place running for a long time. I'm sure of it."

Then the General stuck out his hand. Kyle grinned, taking the hand and shaking it firmly. "It was an honor serving with you. I'd tell you about the reinforcements you can expect, but I doubt I'm allowed... instead, I'll merely ask that you be patient, but firm. They're good people, but sometimes a little too... Overeager." She offered.

"I'll keep that in mind. And now, I have to break in the officers sent to replace you and the Lieutenant. Knight-Captain Carven and Knight-Lieutenant Blythe."

"Nobody to replace the Lady Serenity?" Kyle asked, as she made her way out the door.

"Some gnome called 'Nelmo' or something like that. Just a dockmaster. My work is definately cut out for me," The General replied, before snapping off a salute as Kyle turned around to look over the room one last time from the doorway. Behind her stood Matt and Serenity, bags packed and ready to go.

With a nod, Kyle returned the salute as sharpy as she could, before performing a parade-ground about-face and stepping out the door. It was time to retrienve the Ginzouishou.

Author's Notes:

Kyle: Well.. it took a while. But it's done. On to the final stretch!

Matt: We'd like to dedicate this chapter to the letters A, B, and the number 5.

Kyle: ... we would?

Matt: Obviously. Arathi Basin, and the 5 minute enrage timer on Festergut.

Kyle: ... Fester has an enrage timer? I guess my guild's too good to ever take that long.

Matt: ... hush your piehole.

Kyle: Do you have anything _constructive_ to say here in the author's notes?

Matt: Thanks to everyone who's kept reading along with us! We appreciate the feedback, and moral support. Plus, my ego can always use the boost.

Xxxxx Omake Omake Omake xxxxX

"You can't tame a rhino Matt. You're not a hunter."

"Nonsense. That's just game talk. I'm sure that with enough careful persuasion and appropriately applied force, I'll be able to convince one to let me ride it."

"Let me get some distance before you try..."

Xxxxx

Twenty Minutes Later...

Serenity stared slack-jawed at the sight. She rubbed her eyes once, twice. "Did... Did Matt just ride by on a HERD of rhinos?"

It was plain to see the devastation. Everything in a thirty foot wide swath was trampled to a flatness normally reserved for pancakes, stretching from beyond the hill Matt had emerged from a' hootin and a' hollerin, on towards where he was currently "steering" the herd in the direction of the icy heart of Northrend.

Kyle sighed deeply. "Just the alpha. I think he's trying to get them to Icecrown and trample the Lich King." Then she muttered something else under her breath.

"What was that?" Serenity asked, not quite making it out.

"I said 'damned huntards.'"


	15. Chapter 14

Xxxxxx

"Wyrmrest Temple," Kyle stated, staring at the towering structure in the middle of a field of snow.

"Interesting architecture," Serenity observed.

Kyle shrugged. "Another structure created by the Titans ages ago. Now claimed by the five flights as a meeting place."

"Black, Red, Blue, Green, and Red?" Serenity asked, echoing what she'd been told before.

"Right. Though I doubt the black dragonflight is really all that welcome there," Kyle responded.

"You would be right, mortal."

The three turned at once, weapons hastily drawn, only to find themselves looking up at a scaled, humanoid figure that towered over them.

"A Drakonid. Red scales; a servant then, of the Aspect of Life, Alexstrasza?" Kyle asked, haltingly.

"One of many guardians of a place sacred to our kind; even those of the black flight. What brings three mere mortals to our domain?" As he spoke, the figure walked around the trio, until it took up position between them and the temple ahead. This wasn't lost on any of them.

"We seek the holy grai- Ow!" Matt started, before being cut off by a swift kick from Kyle. "Jeez, lighten up, will ya?"

Ignoring her companion's antics, Serenity answered. "We seek an audience with the Aspects; as we have information we feel is of great importance to them."

"You must think it important indeed, to actively seek out the greatest beings on Azeroth. Most mortals know better than to hunt dragons."

Kyle scowled, "And sometimes, dragons find themselves wishing they had known better when hunting mortals. But only briefly."

Serenity winced, and the drakonid before then reared up in surprise. "Oh? I've met mortals like you before, Night Elf. Many are the boasts I've heard about the prowess you and your allies can call forth in battle."

Matt sighed, before speaking up. "Let me guess: they didn't survive long enough to prove it?"

The reptilian visage leaned forward to peer at the three with amusement. "No. They did not."

"Well, if you're not going to let us proceed, we'll be forced to kill you. Which means you won't be able to enjoy the knowledge that some of us can back up our claims," Kyle pointed out flatly.

"And when I kill you for your impertinence, whatever information you have will be lost to time. Though I suspect it is nothing of any real importance, anyway. At least, not to the Aspects," it responded in kind.

"Is there no way we could convince you to let us pass?" Serenity asked, while mentally reminding herself to have a long talk to Kyle about negotiation in the very near future. After all her companions lectures on the world they found themselves in, it was about time she started imparting some of her own knowledge.

"I think not. After all, you've already killed one dragon, proving yourselves as threats to all of us."

"Oh? And how is it you know that?" Serenity asked, frowning.

"One of Lord Malygos' flight came here to warn us. About a night elf, a high elf, and a human, who might seek to disrupt the unity of the five flights," the drakonid explained.

Kyle's eyes narrowed, "And you remember this warning almost two years after the incident; despite the fact that it was a black dragon we slew? A dragon intent on killing countless living beings?"

"Not much of a red dragon, are you?" Matt asked, pointedly. "Thought you guys were big on the whole 'life' thing."

"And the 'unity of the five flights?' From what I've learned," Serenity pointed out, "the black dragonflight is somewhat disliked by the others."

"... putting it mildly," Kyle muttered.

"Regardless of what Kcalbanihc intended, you killed a dragon, and in so doing, signed your own death warrants."

"You're quite knowledgeable... For a security guard," Kyle muttered, adopting a fake german accent for a moment. As she spoke, she carefully ran a gloved hand down her leg, before shrugging.

"That's because you face Daxglaucous! Servant of Lord Malygos, and harbinger of your demise!" As he roared, the red drakonid shifted, changing from red bipedal reptile to blue dragon.

"Dax. Funny meeting you here," Kyle snarled.

"Ha! I knew you would come! Malygos still lives, and you yourselves implied that the Aspect of life would assist! I knew I would just have to wait for you to come to me and-" He stopped talking as a small blade sunk a few inches into the scaly flesh just behind his left eye.

"Shit; missed," Kyle hissed, even as the blue dragon before them roared in pain.

"DaaaaAAAAX!" Matt bellowed, pulling his weapon and charging. Serenity, for her part, unslung the staff from her back and held it before her. Once again, she wished she had the Ginzuishou, but until she did, Serenity knew a tool like this would help her and her friends survive until they retrieved it.

Daxglaucous hastily erected a magical barrier to intercept the high elf's blade. The unsure swings of a poorly trained novice he recalled from Neltharion's throne room had been replaced with far more sure and controlled swings that could cripple if it struck.

With a puff of smoke, the night elf disappeared, and the dragon took to the air, not wanting to be surprised by a blade sinking into is flesh. After gaining a dozen feet or so, he let loose a blast of blue flame, the snow bank upon which they battled withering away in the magical heat, even as the rogue re-appeared, encased within a silvery bubble of light and glaring at him with daggers in hand.

Serenity watched Kyle for a moment more, making sure her shield spell wouldn't fail him, before turning her gaze on the dragon overhead. With a scowl, she raised her staff before her, before turning to yell at her companions. "Get ready for it!"

Closing her eyes, she let go of the staff with her right hand, keeping it in place with the left while she gestured at the dragon with an open palm, fingers bent as if clawing the air. Then she brought the hand down, flipping it over and clenching it into a fist as she did so.

The snow beneath the dragon, already thinned by the blast of magical flame, suddenly flattened, and the dragon roared in shock as it was pulled to the ground, gravity in the area Serenity had specified increasing suddenly and without warning.

Capitalizing on the shock that had stunned the blue dragon, Kyle charged forward, daggers ready. Dax, however, saw the leaping attack, and twisted at the last second. He still roared in agony as the twin daggers embedded in his side, and the damnable rogue rode the weapons to the ground, the blade slicing through his flesh as the elf fell down his side.

Kyle, upset to have missed the dragons neck, dodged a feeble swipe from Dax's claws, even as Matt reared back to split the beasts side with a blade that could reach far deeper than Kyle's daggers.

"HALT!" A new, feminine voice dried out.

Despite the ridiculousness of the command, and the ire the trio felt towards the blue dragon, Kyle and Matt both found themselves halting their attacks, even as Serenity began charging up a blast of divine retribution.

A shadow suddenly passed over them all, and all four combatants looked up in surprise, as a dragon easily three times Dax's size passed overhead, red scales glinting in the wan Northrend light like rubies.

It sharply turned around after passing overhead, and landed before them. With an eye-searing flash, it disappeared, and suddenly, they found themselves facing a very tall humanoid in questionably protective attire.

"Lady Alexstrasza! These mortals attacked me without provocation!" Dax started, before roaring in pain when Kyle kicked one of the gashes she'd just made with her daggers.

"What Dax means to say is that he intercepted us as we came to you with a message of the utmost importance, and tried to prevent us from delivering it," Serenity explained.

"Oddly enough, both of your explanations do little to explain why you were fighting as you were. Does anyone else have anything they'd like to say, before I continue?"

"He started it," Matt explained sullenly.

"Dax here," Kyle said, about to kick the dragon again, before noticing the frown on the dragon queen's face and deciding to gesture instead, "-is irked with us for having interfered in his overzealous plan to exterminate much of the life on Azeroth. During that time his companion tried to kill us, and even if that attempt did fail, he still managed to cause us a lot of anguish. We weren't exactly in the mood to be lenient after he declared himself, and I quote: 'the harbinger of your demise.' Oh, and we do have something important to tell you and Ysera which, if he kills us, we'd be unable to deliver."

Alexstrasza looked at the four of us, before shaking her head. "Leave it to the young ones," she muttered, before waving her hand.

There was a flash of light, and the next thing they knew, Kyle, and Matt were standing in a room devoid of walls, overlooking the fields of the dragonblight they'd been fighting upon just moments before. The domed roof over their heads was held up by stone columns of, and beside them stood a familiar blood elf rogue. Before them stood Alexstrasza and a few other figures.

"Odd," the Life Binder said, glancing around, before disappearing again. A moment later she returned, this time with Serenity's upper arm firmly gripped. Upon arriving, however, she let it go, falling to a knee with a gasp and turning to look at Serenity with wide eyes.

One of the figures rushed forward to kneel at Alexstrasza side, before offering her his hand to help her stand back up.

"Do they know?" She asked Serenity, quietly, flicking her gaze to Matt and Kyle as she asked.

Serenity smirked. "We're all in the same situation, they just have less baggage," She replied, cryptically.

"I... see..." Alexstrasza replied, turning to look at the four beings before her with renewed interest, and far less hostility.

"All I see are three mortals who assaulted me outside!" Dax raged, earning a glare from Serenity, Matt, and Kyle.

"And what do you intend to do about it?" A new figure spoke up, this one looking like a green-haired night elf, her eyes closed peacefully as if she were asleep.

"I'm going to-" Dax started, before realizing everyone in the temple was now watching him intently. I'm... gonna..." With that, he scowled at Kyle, before disappearing in a flash of azure light.

"Well, at least he didn't start crying," Kyle mocked, before turning to the night elf. "Lady Ysera, I presume?"

"Indeed I am, young one. I'm impressed, most of your kind know of me only in my natural form," she said softly.

"I'm what you might call a student of history."

"You're also a sound strategist," Serenity offered.

"And a rogue!" Matt chipped in.

"... Perhaps 'jack-of-all-trades' would be more appropriate?" Kyle growled out.

"'Jill,' maybe," Serenity muttered softly.

"WHAT was that?" Kyle asked, spinning to pin the queen with a glare.

Serenity just smiled and looked off to the side nonchalantly. "Nothing!"

"Well, it seems you have us at a disadvantage," the male elf who'd come to Alexstrasza's aid said. "You seem to know some of us quite well, where as we have yet to even learn your names."

"Krasus, or Korialstrasz, prime consort to Alexstrasza and member of the leadership of the Kirin Tor," Kyle replied with a smirk.

The figure started, before nodding, "Indeed, you are well informed."

"Do me next!" A female gnome called out, bouncing from foot to foot as she watched the byplay.

Kyle glanced her way, before shrugging. "Chromie, the cross-dressing dragon."

Whatever whispered conversations had been going on in the background paused, and even the winds seemed to die down in response to the words just spoken.

"What?" someone, nobody could recall who, asked.

Kyle shrugged again. "Well, she's a little knee-biter here, right? And she presents herself as a female gnome when forced to interact with mortals. But as a dragon, she has a beard. And I noticed that Alexstrasza here didn't in her natural form. So I'm just going by popular opinion here in guessing that she's a male dragon that enjoys..." Kyle trailed off, suddenly realizing how hypocritical this made him, currently 'her,' sound.

Sensing his discomfort, Serenity spoke up. "Your situation was not of your own doing," she pointed out.

Kyle shook her head, before turning to look at the two aspects. "Lady Alexstrasza, Lady Ysera, I am Kyle, a traveler to your world from one too far for words to adequately convey." She sketched a weak bow, before standing aside and letting Matt step forward.

"Hi everybody, I'm Matt, and I'm an alcoho-" A blade slammed into his armor, fortunately hilt-first. "-from the same world as Kyle."

Serenity took a moment to compose herself, before introducing herself as well "I am Queen Serenity the Third, Empress of the Silver Millennium, and Goddess of the Moon."

"The moon?" Alexstrasza asked, glancing outside.

"Silver Millennium?" Ysera mused, cracking one eye open in curiosity.

"The third?" Matt and Kyle asked, simultaneously.

"That's... quite a claim," Krasus finally said.

Serenity looked around, before sighing. "Very well then." She coughed once, a dainty thing meant more to get everyone's attention than to clear her throat, before she let loose. "Believe it."

As ridiculous as her statement was, when pouring her power into her words, the effect was immediate. The lesser dragons in the room fell to their knees in shock, while the more powerful lowered themselves gracefully to a kneel. Matt, not having experienced the sensation before, had crashed to the floor with a bang as his armor toppled his suddenly weak knees.

Kyle, however, stood shakily, fists clenched, eyes squeezed tightly, and trembling in a mixture of piety and anger. "I _told_you-" She started, before Serenity interrupted.

"It worked, didn't it?" she asked with a smile.

"What... was that?" Krasus asked, blinking in shock as he climbed to his feet.

"Divinity," Ysera said, both eyes open, now, and watching Serenity with far more caution and interest than before.

"Little help here?" Matt asked from the floor, having managed to roll himself over and flail like a turtle on its back.

As Kyle helped him up, the occupants of the temple all turned to look as the sound of giant wings were heard from outside.

"A Black dragon," Chromie asked, sounding surprised.

"WHERE ARE THEY?" The dragon roared, even as it began to glow as it approached the temple. Despite the winds, the dragon had no trouble transitioning from its natural full-sized form into the shape of an aristocratic human with dark hair and a well-trimmed beard.

"Hey, isn't that the exact same goatee-thingy you had?" Matt whispered to Kyle.

"Yeah, well, what can I say? I liked the way it looked," Kyle whispered back.

"You know, most of the time, bad guys wear those," Matt offered.

"And sometimes, it's nice to smirk darkly at someone and have them think the exact same thing," Kyle replied, not missing a beat.

"Your kind are unwelcome here, black! Only the ancient treaties keep us from removing you _permanently,_" Alexstrasza growled.

"Ahh, Life-Binder, it is indeed regretful that my master's plans for you fell through. But I'm afraid I'm here on business, leaving us no time to reminisce on what might-have been."

"What?" Matt asked, frowning.

"The Black flight assisted the Dragonmaw clan of Orcs in capturing Alexstrasza here and using her to produce dragons for them to ride into battle. Near the end, Deathwing attempted to kidnap the Life Binder's eggs to help repopulate his dying flight," Kyle said.

Everyone in the temple was looking at her in shock. "What? That's what happened. Only you all _finally_ managed to work together and destroy the Demon Soul. You all act so surprised; not like you weren't, you know... _there_."

"A student of History, indeed," Krasus mumbled, before turning to look at Alexstrasza who was herself looking somewhat unsettled. "But perhaps we could avoid bringing up painful, _recent_ memories while dealing with our unwanted visitor?"

Kyle bowed her head in acquiescence, "very well."

"So, these are the slayers of Kcalbanihc?" the newest figure spoke, glaring at Serenity, Matt and Kyle before grinning darkly.

"It was a team effort," Matt nodded. When the dragon turned his attention towards the paladin, Kyle's form rippled briefly.

"His plan was as insane as it was impractical," Kyle shot, shifting from one foot to the other with her hands inside her armor. "We did you a favor."

"What was that?" the black dragon growled.

"I said you should police your own better. You want to rule the world, and grind everyone who isn't a part of your flight into the ground? Fine; go ahead and try. You'll find the opposition is more than ready to stop you all. But if your siblings fail to keep their dark plans firmly based in the tenuous grip you all have on reality, then it's your job to keep them from tarnishing your names. After all, the black dragonflight is often referred to as 'cunning, treacherous, and ambitious' and always considered evil. You're doing yourself a disservice if everyone began to add 'harebrained and unstable' to your list of descriptors."

"... Not the approach I'd have taken," Ysera muttered, watching the byplay in stunned silence.

"And you feel you know what's best for the black dragonflight? Ha! What do we care what mortals think of us! It is your destiny to serve us or die. No more, no less."

Kyle just crossed her arms. "And yet, your master had to rely on mere mortals to apply the armor he currently sports, did he not? Not just in the application, but in the design, as well? Even the Demon Soul required mortal assistance. Either you're selling us mortals short, or you've already become harebrained and unstable. A pity; I was all set to fear you properly. Now I'm more inclined to shake my head with pity whenever I see your kind."

Serenity had to cover her mouth to hide her smirk.

"You play a dangerous game, elf. Despite your words, you still face execution at the hands of the black dragonflight for killing one of our own. We would have taken care of Kcalbanihc in time. Your intervention merely hastened your demise!"

"... wait, you mean, you intended to kill him?" Matt asked, incredulously.

"Of course. He was insane, after all. We have, as your friend so aptly put it, an image to maintain."

"Two-thousand gold." Kyle suddenly said, holding out her hand expectantly.

"What?' Alexstrasza asked.

"A fee for doing your work for you. Our services don't come cheap."

"Quite a fee. Even if I paid, you'd be dead before you could spend it."

Smirking, Kyle pulled a small pouch she had nicked earlier while his attention was off of her, from within her armor, having stepped back out of arm range of the dragon and waved it at him. "You've already paid. And I'm afraid I'll also have to steal your victory over us from you as well."

"Why you!" The dragon growled, human form wavering briefly, before it solidified. Then he did something unexpected. He laughed.

It was mirthful, but still tainted with a darkness that only something evil could convey in a sound meant to express joy. "Very well, Elf. Your execution will be stayed, and your fee paid. You've made an enemy of the black dragonflight, but impressed me enough to see what else you might have to say."

"Regardless, you're still unwelcome here..." Ysera started.

"Serinar," the dragon replied, sketching a bow that had little respect in it.

"Serinar, then. It is time that you left," Ysera said.

"Wait!" Kyle cried, frowning. "Serinar, Serinar..." she mumbled, before glancing up at the others. "Is there a Novice?"

"What?" Krasus asked, wondering where this came from.

"You," Kyle said, turning to pin Serinar with a look. "Of the black dragonflight. A female. Novice? No.. something... Malice?"

"Do you speak of Nalice?"

Kyle nodded. "Right. Nalice. A novice with malice. She exists, then?"

"Indeed she does, mortal. And she would flay you alive if she heard you refer to her as a novice. Though I might have to use that insult myself sometime. Heh. 'A novice with malice.'"

"Well, since she's not here, you'll do. Loathe as the other flights may be, your presence here is beneficial, as my message is meant for all the flights."

"You mean to tell me that this message of great importance is not only for us, but for the blacks as well? Did you expect us to agree if Deathwing himself were to attend?"

"No. He's hiding underground, telling himself that he's preparing, and generally missing out on all the action because he's afraid someone might poke holes in his hide. Don't look so upset, Serinar, he's not here. Everyone talks bad about their boss."

Serinar growled under his breath, but held back the outburst he'd been planning to give the presumptuous elf.

With a flourish, Kyle strode to the center of the temple, ignoring her instincts to avoid drawing so much attention to herself, before speaking.

"Auspicious members of draconic-kind, I come to you with a warning of things to co-" she froze, then frowned. Turning to Chromie, Kyle growled. "Do you mind?"

Chromie gasped, before shaking her head, but stopped mid-shake, frowning at something only she could see, before sighing. "Very well. But only briefly!"

With a wave of her hands, threads of magic lifted from Kyle's head, the bronze fragments of magic seemingly frayed. "Impressive mental defenses," Krasus mumbled.

"Ah, then, as I was saying..." Kyle, briefly distracted by the actions of her companions, found that she had to ask a quick question. "Who's winning?"

Matt glanced up from the game of rock-paper-scissors he had been playing with Serenity. "She is, 32 to 17. But I'm making a comeback!"

Kyle just nodded, before turning to Ysera and Alexstrasza. "Malygos the Spellweaver has gone mad and intends to redirect all the ley-lines of Azeroth to the Eye of Eternity, where he and his flight can oversee, control, and command any and all magic that happens on Azeroth. Needless to say, this is a bad thing."

There were gasps from around the room at that, and Kyle shrugged. "Oh, and Arthas Menethil, the Lich King, is about to finish his healing session within the Frozen Throne and set out to destroy all life on Azeroth. Your help in taking him down would be appreciated."

"That's... quite a claim," Alexstrasza said, finally.

"Oh, it's no claim. It's fact. Also, Malygos stole something-"

"Stole?" Ysera interrupted, frowning.

"Yeah, a reality-hacking device," Matt said even as he tried to think of a strategy to defeat Serenity. Rock or scissors next? "We'd like to get it back."

"For the sake of keeping from getting off track, let us say that Malygos has acquired something of mine I'd prefer returned," Serenity offered.

"You don't really expect us to believe this without proof, do you?" Alexstrasza asked, frowning skeptically.

"Well... No. Not really. This was more of a warning to kickstart the formation of the Wyrmrest Accord."

"And my role in all this?" Serinar asked, frowning in thought.

"Peripheral. Nalice, however, was chosen to be the ambassador for the black dragonflight. Due to her utter lack of tact, diplomacy, or manners, you can imagine why I might have forgotten her name in favor of the qualities I most remember; her malice, and, well, her rather novel lack of skill as an ambassador. A novice."

Serinar threw his hands up and laughed. "Ha! Now I know I need not bother killing you. When Nalice hears of this, she'll turn this world upside-down hunting you. So, travelers from the future, anything else you'd like to share of what's to come?"

"I think not!" Chromie cried, stepping forward on her little gnome legs. "Much as I despise this disdain for the natural flow of time, it seems events have been set in place to ensure that this meeting is required, breaches of the temporal flow not withstanding. But any further abuses of the flow of time are not going to be tolerated!"

"Hmph. Not like I'm creating a paradox," Kyle muttered.

"Be glad that somehow your future knowledge is not, Traveler. Despite the protections placed upon you, the bronze dragonflight would be more than willing to remove you from the timestream completely if your blatant disregard for causality were to continue." Chromie's declaration was intoned with as much seriousness as she could muster.

"So then, this traveler speaks the truth? Malygos truly intends to damage Azeroth in some misguided attempt to... To... Why?" Alexstrasza asked, voice pained with emotion.

"I can neither confirm or deny these claims," Chromie said, back turned. Then the gnome glanced at the dragon queen over her shoulder. "However, if I were you, I might try talking to him. It would seem the future is more clouded in mystery than even I had expected. Still, that path does not seem to have a detrimental effect on the timeline, and I myself would prefer to hear it from him whether or not this is true."

"Wait... You're going to talk to Malygos?" Matt asked, glad to have a reason to stop playing with Serenity. His losing streak was beginning to pain him physically.

Ysera turned to look at him with close eyes. "As you may or may not know, we've been allies for ages. To turn on him on the words of strangers," she paused to glance at Serenity, "despite how powerful they may be, would be to spit in the face of everything we've endured together for the past twenty thousand years."

"And if you are the student of history you say you are, you should know of what we speak," Alexstrasza said, looking at Kyle, before turning to glare at Serinar, "as well as why their kind are no longer welcome here."

"Ours is not to reason why," Serinar said, holding his hands apart in mock helplessness. The sinister grin on his face as he spoke, however, laid to rest any thought that he might genuinely feel that way.

Kyle grunted, trying to suppress a grin. Serinar was obviously as evil and malicious as any black dragon, but damn if he didn't present himself exactly the way Kyle would have if he were forced to fight for the side of darkness.

"Keep staring at him like that, and I might have to have another girl-talk with you," Serenity muttered to Kyle.

"I.. What! NO!" Kyle protested, realizing what her appraisal might look like. " I-In any case; if I'm lying, then there's no need to tolerate Serinar's presence. But if I'm right, then surely as beings so far above the mortal races of Azeroth, you're beyond the petty pride that would prevent you from accepting help from anyone who might offer it?"

"Oh, well played," Serinar called out, earning himself yet another glare from the two present aspects.

"Your point is made, Traveler. Distasteful though it may be." Alexstrasza said, shooting the black dragon another glare before turning to look at Chromie. "Are you to come as well?"

Chromie frowned, before shaking her head. "I trust you two to tell me what happened."

"Trust them to tell you, or already know?" Matt asked.

Chromie glared. "Unlike your friend, I don't find ways to disrupt the time line to solve whatever problems I'm faced with."

"Not yet, anyway," Kyle softly muttered, just loud enough to be heard by everyone present.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Chromie asked, frowning again.

"Kyle's merely expressing her beliefs. As they are about you, and you would know better than she whether her comments are true or not, I can see no reason for you to take offense if what she says is false," Serenity pointed out. "After all, the onus is on her to prove her claims, is it not?"

Kyle looked at Serenity with a shocked expression on her face, before shrugging. "Fine, fine. See if I care. Not like I've been right before."

"As far as we're concerned, you haven't," Krasus pointed out.

Gritting her teeth, Kyle bowed her head in acquiescence.

"Very well. We will go to ascertain whether your claims are true. Wait here, please."

"Woah! You think we're going to pass up a chance like this?" Matt said, stepping forward.

"What?" Ysera asked, turning away from the ledge she'd been approaching.

"Malygos holds the key to our return." Serenity said, stepping forward. "Our message to you was a favor, no more, no less. That you've chosen to verify it rather than dismiss it means you've taken it seriously."

"Serious enough to verify its accuracy, in any case," Kyle pointed out.

Serenity nodded, before continuing, "While I'm saddened to have forced you to call into question a friend you've known for an impressive number of years, I cannot let this opportunity to face the one you call the Spellweaver pass me by."

"Pass _us_ by," Matt clarified, taking up a position behind Serenity's left shoulder, while Kyle slid into place behind her right.

"You may question your friend to verify the knowledge my companion has chosen to bestow upon you. Despite her attitude, she knows well the bonds of friendship; were one to accuse me of such treachery, she'd question me first before believing it. So your reaction here is well within reason. But as you go, we demand you take us with you." Serenity decreed.

"And who are you again, to make demands of the Aspects of the Dream and Life?" Serinar asked, frowning.

"Someone with the power to force both aspects to their knees with two words," Krasus stated.

Serinar blinked, before turning to look Serenity over with far more interest than before. "Oh, really?"

There was the sound of metal on stone, and where nothing had been before, a dagger now quivered in the stonework of the column that held the roof of the temple over their heads. Serinar, however, grabbed his face, where a thin cut had appeared on his cheek, just below his eye. With a bellow, he turned to Kyle, who stood, arm outstretched, a second blade held ready in her left hand.

Serenity placed a hand on Kyle's shoulder, and the night elf briefly tensed, before relaxing and letting her arms fall. With her friend properly subdued, Serenity strode towards Serinar.

"I don't know you. I don't know your world. But I've met a black dragon before. And he took something from me no one would have dared touch before. I do not lie when I say that this world would _burn_ had he done this to me while I was at full power. I've had time to come to grips with my loss. I intend to leave here, and let everything on this world go on fighting its ceaseless wars and battles for however long they like." By this point, she was less than a foot away from Serinar, and talking so quietly it was almost a whisper. "But if you look at me like that again, I will reduce you to ashes where you stand. _Do I make myself clear?_" she hissed, once more filling her voice with power.

Serinar fell to his knees in shock, his arrogant sneer replaced with fear and awe as he mumbled an unintelligible reply.

"What was that?" Serenity asked, glaring down at him.

"I... understand," Serinar said, looking down in shame. Whatever this Serenity was, she was no mere human.

"Good. Now; how are we getting there?" Serenity asked, spinning to look at Ysera, whose eyes were once again open.

"You may ride with me, Lady," Alexstrasza said.

"I will carry the paladin," Ysera offered.

"Great. So how will I get there?" Kyle asked, looking around.

"Sadly, in my absence, Krasus will have to stay here, and Chromie has already declined," Alexstrasza explained.

"What? But-" Kyle was looking at the other dragons, all of which seemed to have more important things to look at, like the cracks in the floor or ceiling.

"What of Serinar? If the black dragonflight is to take part in this endeavor as you say, then surely one of them should do their part now? Carry their weight, so to speak? Or would that be carry 'your' weight?" Ysera said, before laughing at the outraged look on Serinar's face.

"This bitch cuts open my face, and you expect me to let her ride me like I were some beast of burden?" Serinar snarled.

Ysera just hummed to herself before stepping off the edge of the temple, growing and glowing as she did until a giant green dragon hovered outside, wings beating steadily to keep her in place. "Coming, Matt?"

"Uh, right!" He hurried over to the dragon and peered nervously over the edge. It looked like he'd have to jump a few feet to land on her back. With two steps back to gather his courage, Matt shot forward with a muttered prayer and made the leap, only to land surprisingly softly as the dragon matched his fall, literally catching him on her back.

"Thank the maker," he breathed. "That was a long drop. Nice flying there, by the way." He frowned thoughtfully. "Though, how did you manage all that with your eyes closed?"

"You'd be surprised what you can learn to do in the span of a few millennia," she retorted.

Alexstrasza sighed, before turning towards the edge nearest her. When Serenity was near, she reached out to place a hand on the Goddesses shoulder, prepared now for the power within the passenger-to-be, before teleporting them outside, changing into her natural form as she did so.

To Serenity, one moment she was standing inside the temple, the next, she was astride the largest creature she had ever seen.

Kyle watched the two dragons fly around briefly before turning to Serinar.

"You know your friends are too far away to stop me from killing you, now," he said, matter-of-factly.

"You know, I didn't miss when I threw that dagger at you," Kyle replied.

His eyes narrowed and he turned to look at the blade that was still imbedded in the wall.

Then he grinned. "For a mortal, you aren't half-bad. A pity you all die so quickly; if even half your kind were like you, we might not be so intent on culling you for the blight you are."

"... thanks," Kyle deadpanned.

Serinar shrugged, before turning around and changing into his natural dragon form. When he was done, he turned to look at Kyle, who was approaching him with far more caution that before. "I'm still going to kill you, you know."

Kyle paused, then grinned back, the caution in her step disappearing, replaced by a confidence that carried in her voice. "You'll try."

* * *

As three dragons flew above the frozen wastes of Northrend, three very different conversations were taking place between dragon and rider.

"Your friends seem to be far less powerful than you... so much so that I can hardly tell them apart from the average mortals who live and die on Azeroth every day," Alexstrasza said to Serenity.

"Oh, what they lack in power, they make up for in other ways," Serenity replied with a smile.

"I'll believe that. Of the rogue, she's dangerous enough with the knowledge she has of the past. Especially considering there was nobody around to document events she spoke of, and her race was unknown on the continent in which it took place at the time it took place."

"And if her warnings as to what's to come are true as well?" Serenity asked.

"Then I fear for the mortal races of this world, even as I fear for my friend."

"And _my_ friends?"

"That rogue knows far too much about things she shouldn't. Which is why I also fear your other companion."

"Matt?" Serenity asked with surprise.

"If you have the power you do, and the night elf knows all that she does, I'm not going to even ask what power your paladin friend has. I've enough troubling thoughts, already."

* * *

"Hey, I've got something I'd like to ask, if you wouldn't mind. You being so wise, and all."

"Yes?" Ysera asked. The paladin had barely spoken in the temple. Maybe now she'd get some insight into what kind of companion the self-proclaimed goddess was keeping.

"In all your years, have you discovered how much wood could a woodchuck chuck?"

Ysera wasn't quite sure what to make of that question. Seeing as she was the only being within hearing range of the Paladin, either he was actually asking her that, or she'd managed to offer a ride to an insane high elf who just happened to also be the companion to a goddess. If he was being facetious, however... Finally, she answered. "A woodchuck would chuck all the wood it could chuck..." she paused, then added, "_if_ a woodchuck could chuck wood." It must have been the correct response, as it sent the paladin into a peal of laughter.

"Hey! You _are_ pretty smart! To figure out the answer to that without even knowing the joke... heh. I guess you've lived so long you know a bit of just about everything, huh? Dunno what Kyle was saying, all y'all green dragons being stoners or whatever. Totally untrue, proven right here, right now."

"All... 'stoners?'" Ysera asked, not recognizing the term, but knowing it wasn't a compliment.

"Yeah, and I quote, 'the green dragonflight are like hippies without the drugs.'"

"And I still fail to comprehend. What, exactly, is a 'hippie?'"

"Well, nobody likes a dirty hippie," Matt stated as plain fact. "They do nothing but laze about, putting flowers in their hair and singing campfire songs without contributing anything beneficial to society." He nodded decisively. "They're a bunch of good-for-nothing dreamers, if you ask me."

Ysera growled. "Well, it would certainly remiss of me not to teach your friend exactly what my flight contributes. Both to society, and Azeroth itself."

* * *

"- Look, the point of number forty-five is to ensure that both your minions understand that there is a price for failure, and that your higher-ranking underlings don't think they can get away with telling you what you want to hear, instead of what you need to hear." Kyle explained.

"I understand that, but minions are meant to be killed. Fear is the motivator for success, and examples like that ensure that they aspire for a role _above_ being a mere... what did you call them? 'Mooks?'" Serinar shook his head, prompting his passenger to hang on for dear life. "I'm not saying don't kill the general for their failure. But do it where the minor minions aspiring for that position won't see. Otherwise, you'll undercut morale."

"Morale is great, but if your minions don't know about it, you'll find yourself with a lot of general's skeletons cluttering up your moat."

"Fine. It's good advice either way. Now explain to me this need to keep birth records in my kingdom?"

* * *

"So is this the place?"

"Yeah. The Nexus." Kyle shrugged. "I suppose it's appropriately named, given that it's at the center of a criss-crossing of magical ley lines."

"I... can see that."

Aside from the constant, pulsing purple energy that flowed in and around the cracks in the ground and the [something about the color in the sky], there were the large slabs of land floating leisurely above them in several circles of concentric rings. That was a dead giveaway.

"I can feel it. It's close." Serenity stared intently at the center structure as if willing the ginzuishou to appear. After all this time, and long struggle together, their journey in this wretched world was finally nearing its end. Her blood sang with impatience with their goal so close at hand. "Let's get this over with. I've got a kingdom to run, and I hate to imagine how things have been without me."

"Malygos approaches," Ysera said, shooting another glare at Kyle when she wasn't looking.

"Friends! Had I known you were coming, I'd have prepared a more welcoming place to meet. And who is... is..."

With a flash, the Giant blue dragon was replaced by an elderly man in a blue robe. "Ysera. Alexstrasza; why have you brought a black dragon into my domain?"

"The temple has received some rather disturbing news, and this one was unwilling to wait for our return as those of Nozdormu's brood do."

"A black? At the temple? Have I been gone so long that things have changed so much?" The Spellweaver asked, shocked.

"Oh, no. We're still generally reviled by the other flights, and barred from entry," Serinar explained, happily.

"I... See... And these three?" He asked, turning to Serenity, Matt, and Kyle.

"Another matter to approach, but before that, I must ask, what's happened to you? You were a recluse merely a few years ago, nearly broken by grief and self-recrimination! You seem almost as spry as you were before... well, you know."

"Well, if you must know, I've come across something that as puzzling as it is wonderful. Imagine if you will, an artifact as powerful as the demon soul, but with none of the malignancy of that abomination."

"Sounds too good to be true," Ysera said softly.

"No; merely familiar," Serenity said, frowning.

Malygos nodded, though whether it was to Ysera, Serenity, or something else, nobody could tell. "I have studied it intently these last three years. I felt, Ysera, just as you did when it was delivered to me. But in all this time, even as I've barely managed to understand the protections it has upon it, I've discovered that it is, without a doubt, the most pure source of magic I have ever seen."

Kyle sighed, before whimsically asking, "I suppose this discovery derailed your plans to redirect all of Azeroth's ley-lines here?"

Malygos grinned, "But of course! This is far more importa... wait, how did you know about that?"

Alexstrasza frowned. "That is what we came here to find out about. It seems the information was accurate, once."

"Now that the plan has been put off, however, things should be able to proceed as normally, right?" Ysera asked.

"I'm afraid not," Serenity said, stepping towards Malygos.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Malygos asked, frowning.

"Queen Serenity the Third. And you have something that belongs to me."

Malygos looked at her with a condescending grin. "And what might that be?"

"The Ginzuishou. A spherically cut diamond about this big," she held up her hand to indicate, "radiating a pure silver light. I believe you know precisely what it is I'm speaking of."

"I'm sorry. No mere mortal is going to convince me that the device in my possession doesn't belong with me. I'm beyond you, little Serenity. I _am_ magic!"

Kyle chose that moment to speak up. "Malygos the Spellweaver. Charged with guarding the magic of Azeroth by the titans ages ago. And yet..."

"And yet what, elf?"

"You've been made... Obsolete. The Mages of the Kirin Tor know enough about magic to bend the world to their will. You may have forgotten more than any one mage will ever learn, but your purpose has become irrelevant. The magic of the world has moved on, and you and your flight have stagnated over the ages, while the younger races innovated."

"You think magic has surpassed _me?_" Malygos roared.

Kyle smirked. "I think _Azeroth_ has surpassed you. You and yours- all flights, dragons in general; they're bastions of a bygone age. Time marches ever forward, and what remains of the five flights matter little to the dominant races of the world."

Ysera, Alexstrasza, Malygos, and Serinar all stared at Kyle as if he were insane.

Serenity buried her face in her hands, and Matt slowly inched away from his friend, as innocently as he could.

"I'm sorry," Kyle said, drawing everyone's attention again, "I mean, I'm only saying what I think, but I've gotten off topic. My point is, you're obsolete, Malygos. And even while you refuse to believe it, you know it in your heart to be true."

"How dare yo-" The enraged Dragon started to say, before Kyle held up a hand to silence him. "If you were truly as powerful as you say you are. If you were, as you say, magic itself, then why have you failed to work past the basic protections on the Ginzuishou? If they are magic, and you are magic, I fail to see how you could not have worked your way past them by now."

"I..." the Spellweaver started, before pausing to look around futilely.

"There is, of course, a simple solution to this problem you seem to be facing, Spellweaver," Serinar said, gathering everyone's attention.

"Speak, Black. But sparsely; the mere thought of listening to your poisonous words as they roll off your barbed tongue fills me with rage," Malygos growled.

"Serenity here claims to be from another world. If that's the case, then her artifact, being from a different world, would be beyond your comprehension without intense study. Your pride is spared, and the burden of proof shifts to her to prove her claim," Serinar explained.

"I don't know what sickens me more, the fact that that made sense, or the fact that I'm forced to agree," Ysera muttered.

Alexstrasza gave a weak chuckle at that, while Malygos scowled. "Whatever name you've come up with for the device is irrelevant. As are your attempts to steal it from me with your pathetic attempts at flattery and manipulation!"

Serinar shrugged, before turning and walking away. "Where are you going?" Ysera asked.

"Back. The Black Dragonflight must be warned, and parties prepared to act. We will be ready when the Spellweaver snaps, even if you all are caught with your eggs out in the open. I'll send Nalice to the temple when we are prepared. Hopefully you will have come to a decision by then," he said, before changing back into a dragon and flapping his wings to take off.

"And what makes you so sure he's a threat?" Alexstrasza yelled at him as he prepared to take off.

"I've lived among the maddened and the deranged for years. I know madness when I see it; And the spellweavers eyes are alight with it!" Serinar bellowed back, before disappearing into the clouds.

Five pairs of eyes fixed themselves on a single pair of blue eyes that darted from face to face nervously. And one by one, the viewers saw past the jovial facade in place, and saw the madness dancing within.

A chill went down Kyle's spine that had nothing to do with the freezing winds blowing around Coldarra at that moment. She suddenly realized how cut off from the rest of the world she was, and even with Ysera and Alexstrasza there, it was impossible to predict what the mad aspect would do.

Matt reached for his sword, but hesitated before actually pulling it out. This wasn't like before, and, much as Kyle had surmised, there was no way to predict what would set the Spellweaver off.

Serenity, for her part, held the maddened dragons gaze whenever it shifted to her, blue eyes blazing with righteous indignation, almost daring the dragon to do something. And that's exactly what happened.

With a roar, Malygos turned on all of them. "You dare question me? You DARE come to my home, and presume to call me mad? I'm not mad, I'm _FURIOUS_!"

In a flash, the old man was gone, and the bearded blue dragon that was Malygos towered over all of them. In two more flashes, a Green and a Red stood across from him as well.

"Ysera! I once thought of you as a sister! And now you betray me? I can only imagine what dark dream you've yet to awaken from that would have you trusting a black dragon before myself!" He turned to Alexstrasza. "And you! I thought you, of all of us, would understand! But you look at me the same! I will not have you question me! And I will not be stopped! What I do is for the good of Azeroth, and I would rather DIE than let you try to talk me out of what I know is right!"

"Malygos! Please!" Ysera cried.

"No! Leave this place! And never return!"

With that, Malygos rushed Ysera, who replied with a blast of green flame that merely drove him back momentarily.

While they were occupied, Alexstrasza turned to the three travelers who were watching with wide eyes. "Run. Find some place to hide, while we... Finish this. When it is done, we'll see about returning what is yours."

"Lady Alexstrasza!' Kyle yelled, as she turned away. When she was sure she had the dragon queen's attention, she spoke. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry it had to be this way."

"I can never thank you for this, Mortal. But I can appreciate your honesty. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a friend to kill."

The three of them ran towards one of the caves along the edge of the crater, as the sound of battle raged behind them. Only a few meters away, however, there was a sudden flare of light, and Kyle tackled Serenity into a bank of snow as a jet of blue flame incinerated the frozen water she'd been standing on moments before.

With a deep bellowing chuckle only a dragon could make, a blue dragon landed between them and the cave they sought refuge in.

"Well now. It would seem your protectors are busy with the master. Almost a pity Serinar didn't finish you off, but I suppose that means I'll have the pleasure of killing you myself." Dax grinned at them, then, and as one, they pulled their weapons and prepared for the fight of their lives.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Matt: So what's with you throwing sharp things all the time, suddenly? You could put someone's eye out.

Kyle: Gratuitous foreshadowing. And really? Tell me it's not cool whenever someone throws a knife like that?

Serenity: Only if it hits the target. You have one instance of missing an eye the size of a dinner plate, one instance where the wrong end hits some of the thickest armor Matt is wearing, and finally, a warning that would have been just as effective, if not more impressive, if you had actually sunk the blade into the meat of his arm or shoulder.

Kyle:...

Matt: She got there, Kyle. Nice burn, Serenity!

Serenity: Thank you! While I'm here, I'd like to personally thank everyone reading for supporting the writers in their efforts. I'd also like to give my heartfelt thanks to those of you who have taken the time to stop and send reviews and comments their way. It's been a real pleasure to see the responses by the community. Oh, and looking forward to the next chapter? I have it on good authority that writing _longer_ reviews goes a long way towards that.

Kyle: I... wait, what? Hey! I'm not that kind of author!

Serenity: Oh? What about that scene with Serinar? That goofy grin while you stared at him... something you'd like to tell us? Is that body finally getting to you?

Kyle: No! Look at him. He's the epitome of... some trope I can't recall off the top of my head. Sort of Dangerously genre-savvy, maybe a little chaotic evil with a glimmer of true neutral?

Matt: You feel pretty strongly about this, huh?

Kyle: I need a good bad guy.

Serenity: I knew it.

Kyle: AS AN OPPONENT! ARGH. This authors note ends here.

Matt: G'night everybody!

Serenity: Keep reading!

Kyle: Why won't it end?


	16. Chapter 15

Looking at the two bloody gouges down Dax's side, Kyle grinned, before speaking up. "Dax, Dax Dax... You were better off letting others do your dirty work for you. Do you really think you can take us on now? You don't face two novices, you now face three veterans!"

Dax barked out a laugh. "HA! All I see are three mortal whelplings who got _lucky._ This is the end, mortals. Prepare to die!"

Matt straightened up. "Well, before you kill us, there's just one thing I want to know."

"Not this time!" Dax roared as he charged the paladin. Matt caught the swipe of Dax's fore claw with the flat of his blade, feet sliding in the snow from the force of the blow, but standing firm. The sound of claws on steel heralded the beginning of the battle.

Racing in, Kyle ducked under a tail swipe aimed for her head, before leaping, arms outstretched, and plunging the dagger into the dragon's flank, once again riding the blade down to open a long gash in Dax's side.

Serenity was waiting when the dragon turned to confront this new threat, and a flash of light went off in the dragon's eyes, even as its head was engulfed in a bang that sounded like a canon.

Disoriented, Dax reared back, before slamming both forearms into the ground hard enough to shake his opponents off their feet.

With his vision reduced to nothingness by the flash, and his ears similarly stunned, Dax backed up, swinging his tall around erratically as he waited for his vision to clear.

Matt, Kyle, and Serenity got together to watch as Dax fought phantoms in his mind, swiping at every moving shape and jerking around every time the battle between Ysera, Alexstrasza and Malygos got loud enough to be heard over the deafness Serenity's flash-bang spell had caused.

"Alright, I'll admit, that was exactly the kind of spell I would approve of," Serenity said to Kyle.

With a shrug, the rogue responded, "I told you; non-lethal, but effective. I'm not all about maximum force."

"I'm surprised you haven't come up with a tear gas attack," Matt noted.

"Too dicey here. And I don't have any clue what works without finding a volunteer who doesn't mind being potentially blinded. Head's up, he's regaining his sight," Kyle said, disappearing from view as Dax shook the remaining cobwebs from his rattled brain, and turned to look at the foes who had dared use magic against him.

"A trick you won't live long enough to repeat! If you wish to drag magic into this, then it is only fair that I reciprocate in kind!" With that, Dax opened his mouth, and a ball of blue fire appeared, hovering between his teeth, as small motes of light appeared in the air around him before flying into the ball with steadily increasing speed.

"Doesn't look good," Serenity mumbled, even as she took off in one direction, Matt running in the other. Dax, however, kept his mouth pointed at Serenity.

"HAA!" The dragon shouted, as a beam of light reached out towards the Queen, blue at the edges, but blindingly white at the center. Serenity's staff was up, and her hand held before her as if preparing to catch the blast. before it could hit her, however, it impacted a shield which flared into visibility as it worked to stop the dragon's assault. Serenity frowned at the rate of decay her shield was going through, and prepared to take the blast, when Matt caught her in a diving tackle, breaking her concentration and collapsing the shield, even as he knocked her out of the way.

Before Dax could bring the beam back onto target, however, there was another flash and a bang, though this time, both were far less powerful and disorienting. Instead, the grenade Kyle had thrown was far more physically effective, dozens of pieces of shrapnel tearing into the dragon's soft chin as the grenade had landed beneath the preoccupied dragon's head.

"Argh! You'll pay for that, mortal!" Dax yelled, feeling the hot pieces of metal burning from within the flesh of his chin and neck.

"I have two thousand gold. How much?" Kyle taunted back, the grenade having broken the cover of stealth.

"Enough! If you won't die here, then I am forced to kill you from the air!" Dax roared, wings stretching wide in preparation for taking off. Only one drooped noticeably; the parallel gashes on the dragon's right side starting just below where the wings grew from Dax's body. "What!"

"Crippling poison got you down, Dax?" Kyle taunted, glad the stuff had actually worked. She had started to wonder if the master poisoner's kit was faulty. Apparently, dragons just took a long time to feel the effects.

"Enough! If I can't kill you from the air, I'll fry you from the ground!" Dax opened his mouth again, charging up another attack, only this time, his aim was on the exposed rogue.

Before he could finish, however, something heavy and metallic smacked into his head, ruining his concentration and letting the blast fizzle out harmlessly. "Forget about me?" Matt asked, preparing to hit the dragon again, this time with the blade of his sword.

Serenity joined her friends as they all battled the blue dragon together, the trio working as a team to keep the dragon off-balance. Where Kyle would move to inflict small gashes and punctures, Matt would work to keep the dragon's attention with his far larger blade. Every time Dax would turn to deal with Kyle, either Serenity was there to catch a swung claw on a silver shield of light, or suddenly going on the offensive with powerful two-handed swings that would gut the dragon if he didn't react. When Dax was avoiding the blasts, Serenity would apply what she had learned from the priests of Stormwind, and twist the power of her magic to inflict pain that tore away at the dragons concentration, or occasionally use the magic to psychically wail away at the dragon's mind.

Dax, for his part, was growing tired of these two, and annoyed at his inability to do more than cut his claws open on the blade of the paladin's sword. The one time he'd scored a telling hit, tearing into the exposed flesh of the rogues arm with the follow-through on a swipe at the paladin, that damnable priest had unleashed a burst of magic that had forced all of his wounds open, even as the jagged gashes on the rogue's arm slowed their bleeding and closed up enough to leave little difference in the night elf's attacks.

Matt felt his arms burning as he maneuvered his blade to catch another claw swipe without being bowled over by the limb, even as he sidestepped to give Serenity a clear shot at the dragons head with another precision beam of deep-purple magic that would leave the dragon reeling. His breath was coming in huge gulps, his hands were numb from the constant jarring vibrations, and within his armor, he felt rivulets of sweat flowing down his body, soaking his undergarments. Then Serenity would mumble a quick "heal" and he felt the sweat slow, burning in his arms would fade, and his breathing would even out, and he'd jump back in to regain the dragon's attention before it could tear open Kyle or Serenity.

Kyle, for her part, was somewhat upset at this stalemate. Sure, the hundreds or so cuts she'd inflicted would be telling eventually; the blood-stained snow around them testament to the effects of her attacks, but at this rate, they'd be fighting like this for hours, and from the way Serenity was breathing heavily, they didn't have that much time before their friend lost the concentration needed to keep them alive.

Looking at the dragon before them, Kyle frowned in thought, before turning to her companions. "Erenity-Say! Ash-flay ang-bay!" Turning to Matt, who had paused to stare at her in surprise, Kyle pointed to her eye, wiggled the dagger in her hand, and jerked her head at the Dragon who was still reeling from Serenity's latest psychic assault.

Serenity closed her eyes briefly, before raising both hands at the dragon and letting loose another blast. Fore-warned, the trio closed their eyes, but could do nothing to stop the magical blast from momentarily decimating their hearing. Dax, however, found himself once again blinded and deafened, and roared at the insignificant mortals who had pulled the same trick on him twice.

Kyle and Matt, however, had already moved, the night elf crouching in Matt's hands, even as Matt braced himself to give the rogue a boost. With a sharp slap to his spaulders, Matt stretched, grunting as he put all his strength into throwing the night elf skyward. With the instincts of her body, and a determined look on her face, Kyle kicked off from Matt's outstretched hands, directing her flight towards the dragon who was swinging wildly.

Unfortunately, unlike before, Dax did not back up as he did so, and the swing caught the unprepared paladin in the side, the armored figure crying out on pain as the claws tour into armor even as his feet left the ground.

Serenity, hearing still weakened, saw it happen and rushed to her friend's side, crouching over him protectively, even as she begun to heal his wounds.

Kyle grinned as the dragons flailing stopped, not having seen the swing that took out Matt. Still, with Dax frozen in surprise that an attack made while blinded had managed to hit one of the annoying insects, Kyle found her path taking her almost perfectly on target, and as she landed, she used her daggers, driven into the dragon's neck, to stabilize her position.

Dax reared back in shock and pain at the sudden weight on his neck just behind his head, knowing one of his foes had somehow managed to get into a relatively dangerous position. However, despite his movement, Kyle wasn't coming lose, and every jerk of his head shook the daggers imbedded in his neck, sending crippling pain down his side as they tore more flesh.

Kyle, for her part, knew she couldn't stay still, and between one shake of the dragon's head, she pulled a dagger free, and plunged it back in a little further up the dragon's neck, before pulling herself forward. Beneath her Dax roared again, and Kyle grinned savagely as she repeated the action with her other dagger, her target almost within reach.

Serenity had turned to look at their opponent after starting her spell, knowing that if he attacked again, she'd have to shield Matt herself or risk losing him permanently. What she saw surprised her. Dax was ignoring her and Matt totally, as Kyle, daggers glinting in the crystal blue light, had reached her target and raised her blade in the air, before plunging it into the dragon's eye.

Dax went berserk. His eyesight had just been returning, and the last thing he'd seen out of his right eye was a dark metal blade catching the sun before it was plunged into his eye. Blinded. These mortals had blinded him! Pulling his wings in, Dax rolled on the ground, no longer caring about fighting with dignity, his only concern now was crushing the life out of the little shit who took out his eye.

Kyle, for her part, was shocked at the change of tactics, and didn't quite mange to leap clear before there were a pair of loud snaps. Once again, her leg flared with pain as bones gave way under pressure. Only this time, it had only been one snap. Dax howled again, as he felt the bone in his wing break under the pressure. The left wing had retracted as expected, but the right wing, still crippled by the poison, had remained extended, snapping under the weight of the dragon's immense body, even as joints an ligaments were torn from the force of the roll.

Unsteadily regaining his feet, right wing hanging limply from his back, right eye dribbling down his face, Dax let loose a screech that was nearly as effective as Serenity's flash-bang spell at incapacitating unsuspecting foes.

Kyle had propped herself up on her elbows, briefly looking at a leg bending in the wrong direction in the wrong spot, before turning to look at Dax, who's remaining eye was glaring at her hatefully.

"Die" the dragon hissed, before charging up another blast. Kyle looked around, not seeing anything but snow to hide behind, and knowing it wouldn't protect her from the blast for crap. Then a shield appeared between her and Dax, and both of them turned to look at Serenity. one in thanks, the other in rage.

Dax began charging up another blast, but before he could finish, the blast went off prematurely, shooting up into the air as the dragon roared and turned. Matt stepped back, looking rather weary and panting, but his sword coated in blood. A large, bloody hole in Dax's side sprayed slime and blood with every breath Dax took, which had suddenly become rapid and unsteady. "I'm not out of the fight yet," Matt said before shouting and plunging the blade into the dragon's blindside again.

Dax tried to escape, but before he could, a withering blast of pain caused him to shudder and fall, Serenity's staff held high as the mind flay spell continued to do its dirty work. Disoriented, in pain, and dying, Dax roared weakly, before instinctively trying to take off. His ruined wing twitched and trembled, but failed to lift from the ground, even as his good wing flapped once, unbalancing him and pulling him onto his side.

Kyle, seeing Dax's good wing flapping weakly against the ground nearby, reached out and grabbed it, before pulling herself towards Dax's writhing body.

Dax felt another sword thrust, and groaned weakly even as the blade worked it's way down his exposed belly. Weakly lifting his head to glare feebly at his assailants with his good eye, he saw the priestess, Serenity, standing by calmly as he was she watched her companion open him up.

Then he felt another pain, as the wounds on his side were forced open, the rogue having crawled up his wings to the punctures from paladin to shove something inside.

Kyle slid down the dragon's neck to stop by it's head, collapsing on her bad leg with a grunt of pain. "Goodbye, Dax," the elf said, as the grenade she'd thrust into his lung went off.

Serenity watched the dragon shudder in its death throes, its single good eye focusing on her one last time before going glossy in death. Then she rushed to Kyle's side to begin healing her wounded friend.

Before she could start casting, however, a shadow passed overhead, and Serenity looked up, staff ready, before relaxing.

The dragon was Ysera, and nearby, Alexstrasza landed, before returning to her humanoid form. "Malygos has fled to the Eye of Eternity," Ysera explained.

"Why didn't you follow him?" Matt asked, rounding the body of Dax wearily.

Kyle chuckled weakly. "They're not attuned." looking at Serenity, he frowned. "Um, your highness? My leg?"

"Please, allow me," Alexstrasza said, stepping forward.

"Actually, I'll take care of that, if you don't mind?" a new voice said. Everyone turned in surprise to look at the newcomer, before the dragon aspects fell to their knees in supplication.

Serenity, however, scowled. "Elune."

The Azerothian Moon Goddess looked at Serenity sadly. "Sister."

Serenity shook her head once, sharply, and Elune nodded sadly, before bowing her head. "I'm here to tell you that the time has come. Events have been set into motion, and the time for you to return home draws near."

"But... We don't have the Ginzuishiu yet," Kyle pointed out.

"We cannot go into the Eye. The magic of the place is too strong for anyone to enter while disguised, and as dragons, we are far too large to pass through the focusing iris," Ysera explained.

"And that is why you three must go. What you seek lies within," Alexstrasza explained.

"Where- ow! Where are you going, then?" Kyle asked, earning a look from Elune, who stepped over and waved her hand over the broken leg, leaving it pain free. It still sat at a horrible twisted angle, though.

"We must return to Wyrmrest Temple and form the... What did you call it? Wyrmrest Accord?"" The Aspect smiled at that, though it was a pained smile. "The focusing iris can be widened to allow dragons to enter. However, it will require the mortal races of Azeroth to enter and find the key to doing that. I have a feeling we'll be putting the champions of the Horde and Alliance to the test, until we have a hand-picked army that can hold off Malygos long enough to open the way for us to enter." Alexstrasza looked the trio over, before sighing. "A pity you won't be here for that. I know precisely which mortals I'd prefer to stand at the head of that army."

Alexstrasza bowed her head towards everyone,before bowing more formally to Elune, then she shifted back into her natural form and took off.

"By your leave, Goddess?" Ysera asked, bowing to Elune again.

Elune nodded, but caught the Aspect's eye with a look. Ysera nodded weakly, then shifted and took off after her sister.

When the two aspects were hidden by the mountainous borders of Coldarra, Elune spoke up. "As you heard, the unstable magic around the iris will strip away any disguises or transformations; that includes my own."

"Wait, you're saying that we have to fight him in our natural bodies?" Kyle asked, no longer in physical pain, but looking somewhat pained by the thought, instead. "I think I'd rather fight Malygos with boobs and a broken leg."

"Yeah, in case you hadn't noticed, we weren't really in the best of shape," Matt added. "I know I wasn't."

Elune mere nodded. "I anticipated that. Which is why the bodies you have now, and your own have been linked this entire time."

"What do you mean?" Kyle asked, frowning.

"For the past three years, you've trained in those bodies. Every move, every skill, _every wound_ you've experienced there, your bodies have experienced and healed from as well." Elune turned to Kyle, "And yes, it was tricky, but don't forget, I'm a goddess, and I have magic to even out the rough parts."

Kyle opened her mouth to reply, then closed it with a snap. Finally, she shrugged.

"I'll miss my glowy eyes the most," Matt stated wistfully. "They were pretty cool."

"What about our clothes? And our armor? I don't really want to fight Malygos in trousers and a dress shirt," Kyle suddenly pointed out.

"Yeah, I'm good at catching claws with my sword, but without my armor, I'm going to be somewhat screwed if I miss. Plus the enchantments..." Matt trailed off.

"I believe the term for your gear is 'soulbound,' no? I will return you to your bodies, but that armor is bound to your souls. It is yours, to keep and discard as you and only you see fit."

"Oh. Well, that's good then," Kyle replied, nodding. There'd be a few places in need of adjusting, but he and Jae were relatively similar in size.

"If that is all, then I shall return you to your natural bodies. Close your eyes; this might feel a little odd."

As the two elves did exactly that, Elune turned to Serenity, and there was a flash that only the two Moon Goddesses could see. Around them, time itself had frozen, and Serenity's friends sat, frozen in time as well.

"Elune... " Serenity growled.

Elune held up her hands placatingly. "I must speak with you, sister."

"My friends have every right to hear what you have to say," the Queen replied sharply.

Elune merely nodded. "Then you may tell them all that transpires here, but for now, at this moment, it is with you and you alone that I must speak."

"Then speak. But make it quick," Serenity finally said.

"First, I must apologize. I did not know, Serenity. This world is not like yours. Not like theirs. There are things even we cannot see. I didn't know. And even though I know it isn't enough for you, I must stress a third time: _I did not know._" Elune had tears in her eyes as she finished, and she watched Serenity regard her with an unreadable look.

Finally Serenity nodded, closing her eyes as she did so, to let a single tear slip down her cheek.

Elune took a deep breath, before continuing. "I... We, the gods of Azeroth are powerful in our own ways, but the black dragonflight has ways of keeping us out. When I knew you'd been take there, I could not see what happened, but I watched it relentlessly. I saw your friends enter, when I could not. I ignored my followers just to keep an eye on that place. Not a minute went by that I wasn't watching. And so..."

"You saw when it happened?" Serenity whispered.

Elune nodded. "I did. It was the most horrible thing I have ever had to understand. I saw that spark of divinity begin its ascent..." She trailed off, looking around the frozen landscape, before whispering, "and I did something I shouldn't have."

Serenity blinked. "What do you mean?"

"This isn't your world; isn't your universe. the spark began its climb, but slowed... there was no home for it to return to. No Pantheon awaited it. I knew it was yours, and knew it was wrong, but when it started to fade out..."

With tears in her eyes, Serenity stepped towards Elune, "What? _What did you do, Elune?_"

Elune was openly crying. "I claimed it. I gave it some of my power, stabilized it. Made it... Part of me."

Serenity was stunned. "She's... not dead?"

Elune shook her head. "No, but... she's Azerothian, now. Part of this universe."

Serenity finally understood. "She can't come with me."

Elune shook her head. "She was too young, too weak... I had no choice. Do this... or watch her die. But I had to tell you. I couldn't _not_ tell you."

Serenity broke down then, crying on the frozen plains of Northrend, as time itself stood still as she let her grief be known.

Finally, she wiped her eyes and stood back up.

"I am so sorry, dear sister. Your daughter may grow, well-cared for here, with me. That, I can promise you."

"Very well," she said at length. "But know this. As you have taken a piece of me, I shall take a piece of you." And with those words a beam of light impacted Elune on the chest, freezing the divine entity in her place, even as it connected the two Goddesses together.

"No! What are you doing?" Elune cried out in pain.

"I am only taking a small piece of you, _dear_ sister. You shall not miss it."

"To what end?" The Moon Goddess cried.

"This is about balance. As Day follows night and sunlight drives away the rain, we must all bow to the balance. This universe now has a part of mine. And so, my universe must have a part of yours."

"But why?" Elune said, even as the beam released her and she fell to her knees panting.

"Look at me, Elune." Serenity commanded.

The Azerothian Goddess looked up at Serenity in confusion. Serenity shook her head, frowning. "No, _look_ at me."

And Elune did. And she saw what Serenity was doing, and gasped. "But you!.. Who?" She looked down at the two frozen forms on the ground, then, and gasped again. "With Matt?"

Serenity nodded. "There are many things about your world I do not know, but I know of their addiction to magic. Both the High Elves and the Blood. My magic may be compatible, but yours is from this world. You can replace what I've taken, in time. And it's a far smaller price for what you've taken from me."

Elune stared at Serenity for a few moments. "I-" she paused, and sighed. "Very well."

Serenity nodded, before turning to look at her friends once more. "Is there anything else you'd like to burden me with, or can I return to my friends?"

Elune looked at Serenity's back, before sighing. "There is one other thing..."

Serenity closed her eyes, before turning to look at the Goddess behind her. "What?"

"Tannim and Jaessica. I made those bodies, and the memories, and skills... but that's all they were. Somehow, between their creation and now, they've gained a life of their own."

"Are you saying you created two souls?" Serenity asked.

Elune nodded. "Like this, I've spoken with them. Tannim... Seeks to return to the light. Or me, as it were. And I'll accept him with open arms, as I do all my followers."

"And Jaessica?" Serenity asked.

"Has asked to go with you. She has no friends or family here. Memories of things that happened here with people who don't exist. And she's... A curious sort. Inquisitive." Elune explained.

"Proud of your work, Elune?" Serenity asked, frowning.

Elune nodded, before turning to look at the night elf body on the ground. "That body is weak. I cannot grant it to her lest it be destroyed when you return to your universe."

"Then what are you asking?" Serenity asked, frowning.

Elune, still talking to Serenity's back, held out the glowing orb that was the night elf rogue Jaessica, and spoke. "I wish for you to take it. I know little of your world, but I think that you, with your power, could do something with it. Something that I cannot."

Serenity turned to fix Elune with a scowl. "What? Just conjure up a body? Or shove it in the head of one of my subjects? You can't do that?"

Elune stepped back in shock, the vehemence in Serenity's voice unexpected. "You would condemn her to live in a world where everything she knows is falsehood? Memories of battle, world-changing events that happened, but none of the proper people or names to go with them? Of friends and family, dead and alive that she can never see and never existed? If that is your wish..."

Serenity sighed. "And so she's chosen to come to a new world, a new body, where nothing will be familiar, and only the memories of this world that you created from the thoughts of my friend to let her know where she's from? Does she know that she was created by you like that?"

"She did. But asked to have that conversation removed. As far as she's concerned, she went to sleep in the Azeroth of her memories, knowing she'd wake up in a new body, in a new universe, where she can learn far more than she ever did here."

"And she's aware it's a one-way trip?" Serenity pressed.

"That was the _first_ thing I explained to her when she made her request."

"Then it would seem I've come across a new soul to look after," Serenity said softly, before reaching out to take it. Closing her hand around it gently, Serenity nodded. "I will do what I can. Was... is she a follower of yours?"

"Not nearly as devout as some," Elune hedged.

Serenity smiled. "Then I suppose I've poached a follower, haven't I?"

Elune sighed. "I suppose you have, sister."

"Then there's nothing else? No dragons planning on following me? A limb of mine you've decided to lay claim to?" Serenity asked, seeing Elune flinch with every barbed comment.

"No, sister. I will return you to your friends, now." Elune whispered.

As she prepared to do so, Serenity spoke up. "Elune."

Opening her eyes, Elune looked at Serenity, not knowing what to expect.

"Take care of my daughter. She's yours, now, too." Serenity asked softly.

Elune nodded. "I will, Serenity. I promise."

Serenity smiled softly, then before shaking her head. "Farewell, Sister."

There was a flash of light, and Serenity found herself standing once more in the snow of Coldarra, the frigid winds blowing around her, even as her two friends groaned at her feet.

"Oh, what hit... me..." Kyle said, before sitting up rapidly. Something was missing. Two somethings. And something else was back. "Oh, wow... that's going to take a little getting used to," he muttered, puling the hood of his armor off to expose his face to the cold air. With a grin, he pulled the glove off his right hand, and ran a finger around the van dyke facial hair he hadn't had in over two years.

Matt, for his part, groaned, before climbing to his feet.

Serenity watched them reacquaint themselves to their original bodies, before turning to look at Kyle. Despite the changes, the eyes were the same, as was the smirk. She felt herself returning his grin when he smiled at her, and when he asked her if it had worked, she nodded, before running over to give them both a hug.

"So this is it? Really it? We're finally going back?"

"Yes, Matt," Serenity smiled with tears in her eyes. "We're going home."

Kyle, not immune to the heightened feeling of good naturedness and hope that seemed to be infusing the group at the moment, let out a chuckle. "And by home, you mean we're going to be traveling at ludicrous speed from one universe to another, said one universe being a pseudo-fantasy world we both knew as a series of games, to a universe we knew of as a shoujou series of fantasy manga and anime that takes place on an idealized solar-system-spanning kingdom centered on the moon."

Matt reached over and messed up Kyle's hair before he could react. "Yep, and we're going to enjoy every minute of ourselves in our new place of residence," he grinned.

Kyle groaned and pulled his head out of Matt's reach, incidentally ending the hug Serenity had been giving them. For her part, Serenity sighed, before tuning to look up at the swirling magical light shining outside of the structure Kyle had identified as the Nexus. "We still have one thing left to do," she pointed out.

"One final task," Matt added.

"... Kill. Bill." Kyle quipped.

Serenity rolled her eyes as Matt started making beat-box sounds to go along with a musical sound track last heard several worlds away.

Before the mood could be ruined entirely, Matt looked around, before frowning. "Will we be seeing Elune again?"

Serenity froze, before sighing. "I doubt you'll be seeing her. But I also doubt she's doing anything other than watching over us at the moment," she replied, the implication clear.

"Thank you Elune!" Matt yelled out to the empty landscape.

"Yup, thanks," Kyle mumbled. "Probably filled my T and A quota for this life and the next."

"I knew you were playing with them!" Matt turned and pointed an accusing finger. "I knew it!"

Kyle sighed. "Matt, between running for our lives, running for Serenity's life, and running from battle to battle, I didn't have time to do much more than basic maintenance!"

Serenity chuckled, "You could have asked for a few more minutes with Serinar."

"... I can't believe you said that." Kyle replied, flatly. He turned to Matt. "She really just said that, didn't she?" With an overly dramatic sigh, Kyle turned his eyes skywards and yelled, "Thanks a lot!" Before the others could say anything to him, Kyle started off towards the Nexus.

"Think we over-did it?" Serenity asked, though she was smiling conspiratorially as she did so.

"He'll get over it." Matt laughed as a sudden thought struck him. "Ha! I finally get to use 'he' when referring to him again. I'd gotten so used to calling Kyle a 'she' for the longest time."

Serenity laughed. "True enough." She paused to regard him for a moment, before frowning. "Still..."

"Hmm?" Matt asked, not really paying attention.

"It's too bad you don't have those ears anymore. They were kind of sexy," Serenity said innocently, completely shorting out Matt's brain.

As he sat there trying to reboot, Serenity headed off towards the Nexus after Kyle, doing her level best not to let loose the laughter that threatened to break free with every giggle.

* * *

"It's there. I can sense it," Serenity stated. Before them lay a swirling portal that hovered over the small platform they were standing on.

Kyle looked over the edge of the platform, down to the floor a good sixty feet or so below. There were no railings to prevent fatal accidents. "OSHA does not approve," he muttered, before turning to look back at the portal again.

"From an architectural standpoint however, railings of any sort would kind of ruin the effect," Matt pointed out.

"You two remember the plan?" Serenity asked, forestalling another bizarre conversation.

"We had a plan?" Matt asked.

"Go in, get the crystal, go home," Kyle said.

Serenity nodded. "Close enough. Just remember, I have to be holding it, and when I warn you, clear your thoughts. I'll do the steering this time."

Matt and Kyle nodded, before pulling their weapons. The carefree postures faded as they prepared for whatever Malygos had waiting in store for them within.

"Lets do it," Matt said, before stepping through the portal. Serenity and Kyle were right behind him.

On the other side, the trio was pleasantly surprised by the lack of a welcoming party, and after checking out the immediate area, they explored their surroundings more thoroughly.

"It's like a planetarium," Matt said, finally. The others nodded. Aside from the platform on which they stood, the walls and sky overhead looked like a sea of stars and galaxies, the whole thing rotating as if they were standing on a platform in space that was slowly corkscrewing through the cosmos.

The platform itself was a large circular affair, almost completely barren.

Almost, because dead center was a giant crystalline orb that radiated magical energy.

Above it floated the Ginzuishiu.

"There it is," Serenity said, breathlessly. She took a hesitant step towards it, almost afraid it would disappear again, before breaking into a sprint.

"Serenity!" Kyle yelled, before trying to catch up to her. There was no telling what kind of traps Malygos had placed upon it.

Before he could tell her as much, however, she was within range, and she reached out for it only to have a blast of magic go off in her face, not seriously harming her, but blowing her back into an unprepared Kyle, and sending them both rolling.

"You were softer as an elf," Serenity muttered, before pulling herself to her feet. "That bastard!" she growled.

"We've got company!" Matt shouted. In the distance, coming from one of the many miniature-galaxies floating around them, a blue spec was rapidly growing larger. Malygos.

"He's warped the magic of the Ginzuishou," Serenity explained quickly. "It looks like he couldn't get it to work for him, so he merely extended its protection to that orb below it, and..." she trailed off, staring at it, before scowling. "Oh, how clever. He didn't key himself to it. He merely keyed us out."

"Well, he's coming. Can you work it out while we stall him?" Kyle asked quickly.

"Magic or not, I am the Ginzuishou's rightful bearer; Once I remind it of that, it will throw off his spells easily," Serenity growled, before stepping forward once more.

"Well, toss us a blessing or two, and we'll do our best to give you time to break it free," Kyle called over his shoulder as he ran back over to Matt.

Serenity nodded, already planning the mystical assault that would free her magic artifact from some insane reptile's futile science project. Muttering a quick blessing for her friends, she set to work, the world around her fading into the background as she started to weave her magic around and through the threads of the spell that kept the Ginzuishou locked down. To Matt and Kyle, it looked like a stream of silvery mist mad exited Serenity's outstretched hands and was slowly engulfing the glowing crystal.

Unfortunately, they couldn't watch any more, as Malygos set down on the platform before them.

"I knew you'd come, but I didn't think you'd wish to die so quickly," he growled.

"Feh. You think you're so smart, Spellweaver? I know children who could run laps around you. Your spell will fail. Your plans will fail. And when everything your insane mind has come up with goes tumbling down around you, you will die, knowing that I was right!" Kyle shouted back.

There was a pause. "And who are you?" The blue dragon asked, staring at the unknown male rogue before him. He recalled the priest futilely prodding at the focusing iris and its lock, but she'd had a night elf rogue and a high elf paladin before. And that rogue had been female. Now there were two humans, wearing the same armor, wielding the same weapons, and speaking as if they'd already met. Then he laughed. "So! You thought to fool me with a disguise? Hiding your true forms all along, but now, here, in my domain, your disguise magics mean nothing! I See through your tricks!"

"Yes, yes, you're amazing," Kyle delivered flatly, while waving dismissively. "In any case. I know the future. And your not in it for long, Malygos."

"Ha! I'm sure your pathetic dreams seem real enough to your feeble mortal mind, but even the bronze dragonflight failed to foresee my plans!" Malygos taunted.

"Failed to foresee?" Matt asked, finally speaking up. "Or do they know the outcome and choose not to interfere?"

Malygos opened his mouth to make a retort, then froze. It couldn't be that, could it? Here in the Eye of Eternity, he was in control. The other aspects hadn't followed him here; here where he was at his most powerful. He finally shook his head. "Stand down, mortals, and I promise you a swift death."

Kyle and Matt looked at each other, before drawing their weapons. Malygos' fate was inevitable. They could make no promise to the dragon before them, and there would be no bargains. When Serenity finished, they would leave, and Azeroth would continue down a time line as similar to the original as had been possible.

Malygos watched the two insects before him prepare for battle and growled. "So be it."

With a roar, he lunged, hoping to catch the two off-guard. The rogue, however, disappeared from sight, and the paladin stepped outside the the range of the swing with an experienced twist, before running in to attack the off-balance Aspect.

Matt's eyes narrowed as he swung at the backside of the dragon's claw that had barely missed him. He was impressed; he'd never been this fast or strong before, and he suddenly missed the high elf body a lot less. Leaping back to avoid a backhand from a claw as big as he was, he swung the two-handed sword again, roaring a challenge of his own as he began to look for an opening to exploit.

Kyle, for his part, was looking for the same thing. His vial of crippling poison wouldn't be good to go for the rest of the day, and considering how long that had taken to set in on Dax, it would have been useless on a dragon even larger. Settling on the instant poison and mind-numbing, he quickly coated his blades, before moving in to attack. Malygos seemed completely focused on Matt for the moment, and unlike Dax, was standing in one place as he swung at the paladin. Making his way carefully to his chosen target, Kyle muttered a brief "here goes," before swinging, the enchanted daggers piercing scaled flesh even as the contact broke the haze of stealth around him.

Malygos roared in pain as he felt his leg open up, the tendon just above his ankle separating from the bone, the muscle it was attached to bunching up under his scaly flesh like a boulder. The dragon's entire body shifted as the rear left leg suddenly lost its ability to hold its weight, and Malygos scrambled to put his leg under him, where the rogue couldn't get to it.

Kyle darted back, avoiding the shifting body, and ducking under a tail swipe that went by so fast the wind from its passage threatened to knock him over. As Malygos clumsily maneuvered around so as to face the newest threat, Matt began to circle around behind him, leaving the Aspect with two choices; leave the paladin at his back, or the rogue. It was the weapons that decided it. The rogue was dangerous, and had already dealt a crippling blow that would require time to heal. But the daggers it used were far too short to pierce his flesh in any vital areas. The paladin, on the other hand, had a blade that could kill if it managed to pass his defenses. The paladin was the immediate threat.

Matt frowned as Malygos turned to face him again. Kyle had gotten a good hit in, he wanted to show the rogue that he too could dish out the damage, as well as soak it up. Well, there was something he'd been hoping to try out. Most of what he'd learned in the past two years had focused on physical combat, but there were a couple tricks he'd been taught. Now seemed like a good time to unleash one.

Malygos took another swipe at the paladin, before leaning down to attempt to bite him. It was an underhanded trick, more common to the black dragonflight than his own, but he knew most mortal beings tended to freeze up with a mouth full of teeth as big as a child came at you.

Instead of trying to dodge, the paladin gripped its sword tighter, before shouting. Just before he snapped his jaws shut, something unexpected happened.

Serenity gasped as she felt something pull at her power from behind her. The delicate threads of magic she was manipulating shivered involuntarily under the strain, and several of Malygos' spells snapped back into place, setting back her progress briefly. She could redo what progress she'd lost easily enough, knowing as she did what steps to take next, but more interruptions like that would greatly increase the time it took for her to finish. "Don't do that!" She managed to yell.

Kyle, doing his best to get away from a tail that seemed far more capable than its owner's head, saw Malygos' lunge at Matt, and was about to call out a warning when Matt suddenly shouted, and a stream of silver energy flew from Serenity to Matt. When it arrived, it began to swirl around him, even as it separated into a number of orbs and streamers of silver light. The orbs became spectral hammers that batted away at Malygos' head, even as they passed through it, and the dragon's head jerked with every impact.

There was a crack, and a tooth the size of Kyle's forearm fell to the ground beside Matt, followed by a splatter of blood.

Malygos reared back in shock and pain. _That_ had been unexpected. Even worse, he could feel the root of the broken tooth with his tongue, the stump bleeding into his mouth even as the throbbing pain from the break seeming to call forth a headache that sapped his concentration.

Shaking his head to clear it, and sending globules of blood flying, Malygos glared down at his opponent. "You'll pay for that!" He hissed, before shuffling to the side, his lame leg kept under him.

Matt had just started to move when Malygos' tail impacted him, the turn just enough for the appendage to reach the paladin and hit him from his blind spot.

Due to the size of Malygos, the strike was powerful enough to send Matt flying, his golden armor kicking up sparks as it slid across the stone floor after the paladin finally landed.

Kyle froze as the dragon turned to look at him. Matt's Divine Storm had been surprising, but fortunate. Now, with Malygos' attention fully on him, Kyle was less impressed with Matt's spell, and hoping to hell his friend was alright.

"Matt's not the only one with surprises, Malygos. Don't think I'll be any easier!"

"As if your blades could truly harm me!" Malygos taunted back, before lunging.

Much like Matt, Kyle'd focused on the physical aspects of combat training. However, he knew of the abilities a rogue had access to long before they had arrived in Azeroth, and had taken the time to learn the most useful from those willing to teach.

With Malygos's claws approaching fast enough to hear the wind whistling through them, Kyle felt his energy peak, a moment before letting loose an ability he'd sought out early in his training. There was a slight sparkle, before the rogue partially faded from view, Kyle's movements becoming quicker, even as Malygos' claws seemed to pass through him.

Kyle knew he couldn't keep it up long, but while under it's effects, he did his best to leave Malygos something to remember him by. As the razor-sharp claws passed beneath his chin with inches to spare, he brought one of the daggers down, scoring a deep cut along the backside of Malygos' paw, before stepping forward and using the other dagger to score another lengthy cut up the dragon's forearm.

Malygos growled to himself as the rogue continued to avoid his attacks with depressing ease, even as it continued to score numerous annoying-but-painful cuts and gashes on any limb that dared get within reach.

"Enough!" He roared, rearing back and frowning at the rogue before him. The pain in his head was steadily growing, and he mentally reached for his magic, silently daring the rogue to dodge his next attack.

Unlike Dax, the blast didn't take time to build up, and didn't lance out at Kyle like some sort of magical laser. Instead, it immediately left Malygos' mouth, taking off like a ball of white lightning as it streaked down towards Kyle with deadly intent.

For his part, Kyle had been expecting this, knowing Malygos was a master of magic, and dove out of the way of the blast, doing his best to ignore the explosion it picked up behind him as it impacted the ground. He also ignored the sting of stone and rock as pieces of the platform impacted his armor.

Malygos was shocked. The spell had worked as intended, but been far less powerful than expected. Then he growled again; his headache suddenly made sense. "Poison!" He snarled, before preparing to unleash another blast at the rogue. Knowing his magic was temporarily weakened, he powered it far more than usual before unleashing a blast that was much more like he had expected the first time.

Only, when it reached the surface of the platform and exploded, the rogue was nowhere to be seen. "Wha-" Malygos started, before roaring in pain again.

Kyle had seen the much larger blast, and let loose another ability he'd learned, grinning as he sank into the shadow beneath him and appearing behind Malygos's head. In Azeroth proper, he'd only been able to emerge from the shadows of his target from the ground. Here in the Eye of Eternity, the darkened night sky itself served as a shadow, and he'd appeared above and behind Malygos' head as he had hoped, falling daggers first to leave a telling wound when he landed.

Malygos roared again in anger at the creature who would dare attack him so. Malygos shook, and unlike Dax, the greater size and strength proved too much for Kyle to hold on through. With a surprised yell, Kyle went flying, doing his best to roll on impact, but still stunned as he met the ground and slowed to a stop.

When the world stopped spinning around him, he looked up to see an angry dragon bringing its claw down on him as if to crush him. And he was still too disoriented to do much more than attempt to move. Still, he tried, and Kyle groaned to himself as he knew he wasn't going to be fast enough.

Malygos would have smiled to himself as he brought his claw down. The rogue was about to learn just how insect-like it truly was.

Then his claw slammed into something that felt like a boulder coated in steel.

"What!" He roared, pulling his claw away.

Matt grinned within his helmet as the claw exposed Kyle, safely ensconced within a divine shield.

"Matt!" Serenity yelled accusingly.

"Sorry!" he called back, before gripping his sword again with both hands and running to meet the dragon while Kyle got his feet back under him from within the shield.

Malygos turned to the Paladin with another growl, before letting loose a poorly-aimed blast of magic that succeeded in halting his advance.

"Far be it from me to cater to your pathetic attempts at combating me here! This farce ends now!"

Malygos took off, limp leg dangling even as he slowly backed away from the platform his enemies stood upon watching him.

"You think that's air you're breathing? That platform you stand upon is real? This is _my_ domain, mortals! And it's about time you learned just what that means!"

Before they could prepare for it, the platform around them blinked out of existence. The loose stones blown free from the dragon's explosions, as well as the three humans standing in his domain began falling. However, he wasn't done showing them how little power they had.

Focusing on the rogue, Malygos dove, and Kyle watched him when he spun enough to see the blue Aspect. Below him, above him, and all around him swum the sea of stars, and only the air flying by him as he fell through it, and the dragon diving above him gave him any indication of which direction was which.

Serenity had been as surprised by the loss of flooring as her companions, but unlike the floor, the crystal ball and its stand had remained in place, floating in the air as if the ground it sat upon hadn't disappeared. Serenity reached out and grabbed one leg of the orb, wincing as the action threw her concentration and set her back a little more. She had almost been done.

Matt windmilled his arms comically for a few moments as he continued to fall, the surprise of the move leaving him somewhat disoriented. The metal armor and sword in his hand had also speed up his descent, and as he spun, he saw Kyle and Malygos above him, falling in his direction, even as Serenity receded further and further above them.

Kyle was in trouble. He knew that. He was falling down an infinitely deep hole in some magical space, being attacked by a hundred-foot dragon with wings. It was clearly an arena that gave the dragon the advantage. And his cape, which was long and flashy and surprisingly far less in-the-way than he'd expected it to be, now fluttered above and behind him, constantly pulling at him like a failed parachute.

"Well, first thing first," he muttered to himself, before reaching up with his dagger and cutting the cape off just above his head. Instantly, the pulling sensation lessened, and he tried to remember everything that he'd ever read about skydiving. Spreading his arms and legs, he felt the increased wind resistance, and saw Malygos' approach quicken as the dive brought him closer. With a soft hmm to himself, Kyle brought his arms and legs together, lessening the resistance, and felt his speed increase.

Malygos glared at the mortal ahead of him. Instead of screaming and flailing about, it was acting as though it was used to this, altering it's shape to influence it's rate of fall. What would a human know of aerial maneuvering?

Kyle however, thought he had the basics down, and instinctively leaned to the side, altering the resistance on his left and seeing his drift to the right increase. Malygos altered his dive to compensate.

Then the rogue disappeared.

"Wha-" Malygos started, before roaring in pain again.

Kyle grinned savagely as he appeared behind the dragon, the giant body catching far more air than his, and leaving him the advantage in speed with a dive. It took less than a second for Kyle to reach the aspect, again, driving his blades into the flesh of Malygos' back, and latching on to his neck.

"You dare!" Malygos roared back at him.

"You fell for it!" Kyle taunted. Then he laughed. "Twice!"

Malygos was about to reply, when suddenly a second weight impacted his back, this one far heavier than the first.

"Almost missed the bus," Matt said, matter-of-factly.

"Huh," Kyle replied, surprised.

Matt grinned, before reaching back to pat his own cape.

As he'd been falling, he knew there was no way he'd be able to do what Kyle was doing and slow his fall naturally, so he'd cheated. One of the gnomes at Valiance Keep was a burgeoning engineer, and Matt had caught the soldier jumping off the unfinished roof of the inn and drifting to the ground with a cape that acted as a parachute. Pulling the gnome aside, he'd acted as if he was about to reprimand the terrified enlistee, before begging him to do the same with his own cloak.

Now, he'd watched as Malygos and Kyle had passed him, the parachute overhead slowing his fall enough to give him time to plan accordingly, before cutting the strings and resuming his fall after the two. He'd been waiting for a chance to show the cloak off for months.

He'd almost landed on Kyle when the rogue had suddenly appeared beneath him, but he had enough time to redirect his fall, using the blade of his sword as a sort of tail. He'd have to ask Serenity for an opportunity to try this sort of thing again later. An idle thought briefly wandered through his mind, and he wondered if the chance to sky-dive down an impossibly deep hole while trying to land on an angry dragon would ever crop up twice in his lifetime. He hoped not.

"Do you think you're any safer there?" Malygos roared back at them.

Before answering, Matt brought the point of his sword to the dragon's back, aimed at the gap between vertebrae. "Yes. I do," he replied calmly, as he gripped the pommel with both hands and braced himself.

"What-?" Matt shouted with a surprised yelp as gravity suddenly shifted, and he felt himself torn away from the dragon laterally, falling sideways, even as Malygos fell down. Kyle was ripped away in a separate direction, falling upwards, and he growled at the Aspect, still winded from his last use of the shadowstep ability.

After a few minutes of falling up, Kyle felt his direction change again, and far below him, Matt did, as well. Within moments, the two were back together, falling sideways.

"Prepare for oblivion!" Malygos shouted, far below them. The two looked down, only to see a blast of epic proportions rising up to meet them, the surface of the blast larger than the platform they'd been fighting on before, and far too wide for them to drift out of the way of. Still, they tried, both silent as they watched the blast following them even as it grew larger and closer.

"Matt!" Kyle shouted. "Push off me!"

With mere seconds to spare, the two humans reached out to grab each others' hands, drawing close, before shoving with everything they had, flailing at the loss of control over their descent, even as they flew apart far faster than any change in drifting could have accomplished.

Matt watched in horror as the blast continued to follow Kyle's trajectory, even as he was thrown far enough to have a good chance of passing it by.

"Well, that sucks," Kyle muttered, as the blast drew close enough that it took up half his view. Then it was around him. Eyes closed in preparation, he was surprised to feel... nothing.

"You didn't really think I'd let him kill you?" Serenity asked, mere feet away, and holding the Ginzuishou. She reached out to grab his arm, and suddenly Kyle felt as if he were standing on a solid surface, even as the blast of Malygos' passed around them as if it were no more than a mere hologram.

Serenity nodded to his unspoken question, before holding the Ginzuishou up before her. There was another flash, and Matt appeared beside them, the blast overhead illuminating the trio with a light far brighter than any sun. It was almost blinding, but somehow, the three weren't visually impaired by it. Instead, it merely made the reunion seem ethereal.

"How dare you!" Malygos roared from somewhere far below.

"Get ready," Serenity said, before the three of them rocketed skyward. The magical blast of Malygos was overtaken, even as they swerved around it, and Matt finally asked Serenity where they were going.

"The Exit! I can't teleport us out of here, there's far too much magic. We have to return to Azeroth first!" Serenity yelled back. While the air flying by was ruffling their clothes, it was going far slower than they were moving, courtesy of Serenity, and a shield she'd erected around them. The air outside, however, roared as it was buffeted by the disturbance, and they had to yell to be heard above it.

"I'm glad you're back, your Majesty," Kyle yelled.

Serenity grinned. "I thought you guys knew better. When we're alone, I'm just Serenity!"

Before either of them could respond, the trio reached the end of their flight. A portal, just like the one they'd entered through, lay ahead of them, and Serenity barely slowed as she took them through it.

Outside, Matt yelled in surprise at the sudden appearance of a stone wall directly in their way, even as their shield blew a hole through it.

"Hah!" Kyle yelled, looking out over Coldarra as they continued to fly higher.

His shout was answered by a roar of rage. behind them, Malygos tore out of the Nexus like a cannonball, a shield of his own cutting through the air ahead of him as he slowly caught up to them.

"I can't take us home if we're flying like this, we have to land!" Serenity shouted.

"I don't think he's going to give up!" Matt replied, watching the dragon and frowning.

"Head that way," Kyle said, pointing. He didn't want to head there... Even from here, the dark blue spires were faintly visible in the distance.

"I don't like that way," Matt muttered.

"Neither do I, but I know there's one thing there that might slow him down," Kyle replied.

Serenity nodded, and the shield around them changed course, diving towards the plains of the Borean Tundra even as it sped Northeast towards the imposing mountains ahead.

"Follow this ridge and head towards the plateau!" Kyle shouted, looking down in surprise. To the south, the Borean Tundra was rife with activity. The gnomish airfield he'd suggest was still being built, and in the distance, the crater Captain Biters' bomb had blown in the ground was full of activity; a goblin zeppelin loaded with supplies coming in for a landing nearby, as orc peons stood by to unload the arriving cargo.

To the north, a huge crater full of trees spread as far as the eye could see, five towers rising up around the interior, each one bristling with crystals of different colors.

Then a magical blast blew up a mountain top nearby, and the sightseeing aspect of their trip was over.

Serenity turned around, flying backwards, even as she watched the gaining dragon behind them. Then she dropped the bubble lower. Instead of flying above the ridge line, she was weaving in and out of the various peaks, forcing Malygos to slow down.

Another blast of magic began chasing them, and Serenity turned back around,as if dismissing it, before moving them around a peak again. Kyle grinned as he watched the blast behind them. Beyond it, Malygos rose into the sky, trying to get a height advantage.

Then they were at the cliffs that separated the Tundra from Wintergrasp. Mere feet away, they suddenly stopped.

"Up?" Serenity asked Kyle.

"Up," Kyle replied with a nod.

The bubble took off again, the rocky cliff-face they'd paused beside disappearing in a blast of magic that sent boulders hurling in all directions.

At the top, Serenity leveled their flight out again, and they quickly passed over the decaying titan architecture even as Kyle sighed wistfully as he watched the zone passing by below. "Stupid zone," he mumbled, as it grew further away. They'd reached the north end, and were rising again to pass over the last mountainous ridge in their way.

"Don't stop, no matter how horrible it looks," Kyle warned Serenity, even as he watched Malygos coming up behind them. "Also, juke left?"

Serenity did so, and another blast of magic passed by them to the right.

Matt, who was busy watching the dragon behind them, suddenly reached into his armor. Feeling around for a moment, he grinned within his helmet and pulled out a gold coin.

"You going to bribe him to leave us alone?" Kyle quipped.

"Something like that," Matt replied, before looking at the dragon behind them, then the coin in his hand. before Kyle could ask, Mat set it on his thumb and flipped it in the air.

Behind them, Malygos continued on, but suddenly jerked mid-flight as something hard and metallic tore through his wing. A moment later, it happened again, and then something hit him in the head, sticking between his eyes, even as it stung hard enough to bruise. When it slid away, Malygos caught the glint of it in the light and roared again. The mortals were pelting him with gold!

"I dunno if that's funny or wasteful," Kyle said, before turning back to Serenity when he heard her gasp.

Serenity had heard from Kyle what to expect of Northrend. He'd even described all this. But hearing it described and seeing it spread out before you were two totally different things, and only the urgency of their situation kept her going deeper into the nightmare ahead.

Icecrown was ugly. Dark, low-hanging clouds seethed with unnatural anger, lighting licked the air as if daring anyone to draw close, and the temperature dropped even more, the cold cutting straight to the soul. And that was the best part.

Below them, Icecrown Citadel stood, a bastion of evil, it's saronite spires and terraces crawling with the undead. Geists, ghouls, abominations, undead giants, the armies of the Lich King were everywhere. And even at their speed, numerous undead eyes rose to watch them pass with unnatural, evil glee. New recruits? A warm meal? Or both?

Serenity turned away from the spectacle below after looking into the eyes of a curious Lich, the skeletal head anathema to the magic she was used to wielding.

"Not much further!" Kyle cried, putting a hand on Serenity's shoulder to offer her what support he could.

When she nodded, he pointed east, and they veered that way, before there was a flash, and suddenly Malygos was ahead of them.

Serenity reacted instantly. The bubble dropped, even as a beam of magic much like Dax's but far more powerful lanced the sky where they'd been.

Serenity didn't want to go closer to the things that crawled everywhere below her, but it was far easier to avoid the dragon's attacks if she could put objects between her and the mad dragon.

Passing beneath one of the gigantic bridges criss-crossing the glacier, Serenity took them in the direction Kyle indicated with a finger, even as she dodged magic blasts from above, and now the curious and attacking servants of the Lich King.

"Fucking gargoyles!" Kyle shouted as one passed close enough to screech at them, the sound sending them off-path as it interfered with Serenity's magic.

Serenity ignore him as she continued towards an icy cliff ahead. "That's it!" Kyle cried, as they climbed over the edge to look down on it. Just as he remembered, there was a pit full of the Lich Kings minions. And just as he had predicted, Malygos was distracted.

"NO!" the aspect roared, seeing the grave of his first consort empty, and crawling with undead vermin. Even worse, nearby, the dead remains of his flight were being excavated and charged with unnatural magic. With an screech that no mortal throat could make, one of the skeletal dragons took to the sky, turning to attack the being that it had once served in life.

Then he let loose a blast that caught Serenity unexpected. Much like Malygos, she had been distracted by the appalling desecration taking place below her. And even though they'd been moving, she failed to dodge that blast completely, and the spell propelling them failed.

Kyle yelled as he fell, before he hit the ground, Matt and Serenity falling nearby.

With a groan, he sat up. Despite the height and speed, he appeared relatively unharmed, if somewhat sore. Nearby, he heard Matt groan, and he looked around, spotting Serenity pulling herself out of the snowbank they had fortunately landed it.

"Serenity," he called, getting her attention even as he moved towards Matt. Serenity moved towards them, before pausing to turn around and stare at the snow bank in shock.

Kyle was about to ask her what was wrong, but figured it out. "Find it! I'll help Matt!" As Serenity dug through the snow, Kyle made his way through the waist-deep snow towards his groaning friend. Finally, he arrived at Matt's landing spot and hissed. Either Matt had the worst luck, or that armor was heavier than he remembered. The paladin's leg was twisted as only a break could twist, and judging from the blood seeping out from under the helmet, he'd managed to smack his head pretty hard, as well. And somehow, despite all this, instinct or sheer bloody-mindedness kept his sword firmly gripped in his hand, rather than being lost to the snowbank.

"I know you," a familiar voice said behind them. Kyle spun, feeling the blood drain from his face.

There, standing on the ice, and far more physically present than last time, stood Arthas Menethil, the Lich King.

He was looking at Serenity, but Frostmourne, the cursed blade, was held out towards the rogue, letting them know that any attack from that direction would be foolish at best.

"You seem to have found... new companions. I will enjoy turning your last pair when my minions find them," he said, still speaking to Serenity.

Then he was forced to dodge as a blast of magic struck the ground on which he stood.

"What have you done with her? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH SINDRAGOSA!" Malygos screamed, before landing nearby.

"She, like the rest of your risen brood, serves _me_ now, dragon," The Lich King explained.

"NOOOOO!" Malygos screamed, before attacking, whatever semblance of sanity or rationality he'd used in his earlier fight with Kyle and Matt driven from his mind by the all-consuming rage at the though of his dead lover being forced to serve the abomination of magic before him.

"Serenity, hurry!" Kyle hissed, as he did his best to gather up Matt. An obvious head wound wasn't something you're supposed to move, but there was literally no time. Already, he could see robed figures approaching from the north; The Cult of the Dead. They'd finish Matt off, then bring him back as another undead warrior in service to the figure fighting Malygos.

Serenity shivered as she dug through the snow. The air was thick with Magic, and growing worse as the dragon and the monster behind her fought. She'd tried to summon the Ginzuishou to her, but merely opening herself to her own magic had let some of the necrotic taint in the air contact her, and the magic pathways had slammed shut protectively. It may have been weaker than a god, but it was ambitious, all-consuming, and even more unnerving, _driven._ There was another force at work out here, and it _was_ as powerful as a god.

Finally, her fingers closed around something both warm and familiar, and she fought down the grin that threatened to split her face as she spun around, feeling much more confident.

Kyle had pulled his daggers and was facing five humanoid figures in robes, who watched him with pale, painted faces alight with amusement.

"What chance do you think you have, with our master right there?" one asked.

"More than you do!' Kyle shouted back, before letting loose a throwing knife. The cultist didn't even try to dodge, the blade sinking hilt-deep into his eye. The body toppled back, and the others watched him fall with detached interest.

"Alas, poor Yorick," one muttered.

"Yeah. He'll feel that one tomorrow," a woman responded, before they turned to look at Kyle again.

Then Serenity stood beside him, a scowl on her face. "Bad guys?" She asked.

Kyle nodded. "The worst. Necromancers."

Serenity's scowl deepened, and despite them having greater numbers, as well as the most powerful being on Azeroth, their boss, nearby, the cultists were unnerved by the look they were receiving.

Serenity held the Ginzuishou up, and closed her eyes. The cultists watched in confusion, unsure what the large glowing diamond was supposed to do. Then there was a flash of light, and they were no more.

"What!" The Lich King said, turning to look at the trio with true anger. The magic of the Lich King meant he was connected to all his minions, including the cultists. He'd felt one die, his soul trapped in the Lich King's phantom grip until it could be stuffed back into its body. This was different. Those five were now _gone._ The souls torn away from him wish such force that he hadn't even felt it. There were there one moment, and gone the next.

"Take us home, Serenity," Kyle said, reaching down to pull Matt up into a fireman's carry and grunting at the weight.

Malygos charged the distracted Lich King, even as motes of light emerged from the Ginzuishou and began to whirl around the trio. Being the Aspect of Magic, and feeling a spell of unknown purpose taking shape and being fueled by more power than even he could handle, Malygos' rage faded, and he watched as the artifact he'd coveted these past two years being used by what could only be it's true owner. A mortal. A _human_. What little sanity Malygos had left was shredded as the night elf's words earlier echoed through his mind. He... was obsolete. With a cry that shook the heavens, Malygos took off, his fight with Arthas forgotten.

Arthas watched the dragon Aspect leave with pleasure. The fight would have been tough, but he'd scared the stupid reptile off, and could now take his time breaking the woman who dared lay claim to his domain. She'd not even had the temerity to stand and fight for her claim, instead bringing the mountain it was built under down upon it. His minions were _still_ trying to re-create the network of tunnels in that area of the Tundra!

Facing the trio fully, the Lich King frowned at the display of magic before him. He'd not been a paladin for years, but the spell being cast before him was powerful. It was Divine. And it was something he did not want to see completed.

Serenity could tell she wasn't going to be in time to completely avoid the monster's attack, but she hurried all the same.

As the Lich King loosed his blast of dark magic, Serenity closed her eyes and completed her spell.

From the storm Peaks of Northrend to the cape of Stranglethorn, any being with the slightest attunement to magic turned towards Icecrown, where a pulse of magic radiated like a miniature magical sun.

To General Arlos, Alexstrasza, Ysera, Korialstrasz, Serinar, King Wynn, and Priestess Whisperwind, as well as numerous bronze dragons everywhere, a collective sigh was released. 'They' were gone.

And when the glow from the flash of light faded, three troublingly powerful and well-informed travelers were nowhere to be found.

"Good luck, sister. And farewell," a voice whispered, carrying on the wind and into eternity.

* * *

Epilogue:

Serenity was going home. That she knew to be true, but even as they traveled through the void between universes, she felt the spell speeding her and her friends along fraying under the assault of the Lich King's final attack. Here, they had no real bodies, and she used her power to pull her friends closer as the spell shrank around them. Ahead, she felt, more than saw, her kingdom drawing ever nearer at a pace beyond reckoning.

And a mere instant before they arrived, even as she felt herself begin to re-integrate with the universe before her, the spell burst, and her friends began tumbling away from her. With desperation, she reached out for them with her power, but only one responded. And as one figure reappeared into her reality apart from her, she and the other faded back into existence in the Medical Chambers from which they'd departed.


	17. Final AN and Thanks to Readers

Missed Plot Points/Extra Bits/Extended Author's Notes

Note: Matt's commentary is inside the (*text*)

First posted on in January of 2009, Arc One of Chance of a Millennium has been an on-again-off-again project spanning nearly two years.

Looking over some of the earlier notes, it seems almost bizarre how much the scope of the story has deviated. Originally, there was no Azeroth adventure. Apparently, our silver tongues and knowledge of the future was all we needed to work our way into Queen Serenity's inner circle, and I get the feeling doing so would have irrevocable painted her in the "stupidly trusting" category for the rest of the fic.

On a whim, and a bit of a "Wouldn't it be neat-?" conversation, the scope of the story changed significantly. (*Matt here! I honestly have to take the blame for this one. Specifically, sending us to World of Warcraft. Neither of us were terribly happy with putting Serenity in the "stupidly trusting" category, so we came up with the premise that a shared adventure away from the Sailor Moon universe would grant us two very important opportunities: one, it would allow us to develop Serenity, a virtually unknown-yet-very-important entity in the original time line, into a fully fleshed-out character. And two, it would allow us to actually, realistically gain her trust in a shared setting where we would work together. I suggested that WoW would be a setting we could use, Kyle ran with it, and it took off.*) A single story arc with a happy ending suddenly exploded into a series of sorts, that we're just now getting into the second arc of. While I can't speak for Matt, I certainly found the changes refreshing, as we took a rather standard "If we were there, we'd make it BETTER" story and turned it into something sort of unique. (*And yes, I am delighted and in awe of what two people just trying to kill some time have accomplished. I've been having a blast working on this project, and like all of our works we have strove for it to be new, fun and interesting.*) Of course, time will tell if it truly turns out that way, but looking over the outline for Arc Two, I'm left smiling at the twists and turns we'll be taking, and hoping that they'll entertain our readers just as much as coming up with them entertains us.

That said, looking back over this past arc's outlines, as well as the story itself, there are moments that I'll re-read what I've written and think "Wow. I'm so clever" and pat myself on the back, only to reach something else and wince in pain at something that made sense when I was writing, but in hindsight, strikes me as a place to circle in red pin and write "needs improvement" nearby. Chalk it up to the wanna-be Creative Writing teacher in me.

In any case, I've figured that, since Arc one is posted on my profile, I could add these notes to the end. I'd be lying if I didn't say I'll enjoy the increased traffic, but at the same time, I figured that, as one of the few fics with a "complete" tag that is actually complete (at least, this part of the Arc is. Don't worry, we're not done writing. Not by a long shot) I might as well give the readers some closure and answer questions that were brought up in reviews and or on forums but went unanswered. Also, maybe a hint or two as to how the writing process goes, and little things like that.

First and foremost: My apologies to every reader who doesn't play WoW. That you stuck with it (hopefully) is testament to your perseverance, because I know there were times the in-jokes, random-term-droppings and bizarre non-sequitors got a little thick. Much as I'd like to claim that our riveting writing style was enough to see you through, I'm not that optimistic. Matt might be, though. I'll leave it to him to speak for himself. (*Even though I usually try to look at the bright side of things, I was heavily aware that the air was thick with reference no one who has not played WoW were likely to get, and I tried to put as many lines explaining things where it seemed natural.*)

Originally, there was going to be Horde involvement. While I primarily play Alliance in WoW, I've little love for the forced combat between the Horde and Alliance that Blizz constantly pushes, and I'm far more likely to wave to a Horde player who's flagged than I would kill them. So originally, the final battle with Malygos would be postponed to the point that Matt, Kyle and Serenity were on the ropes in the eye, when a (raid) large group of Horde and Alliance soldiers would pour into the Eye wielding the Key to the Focusing Iris, and proceed to play out the original battle from the game, phase-by-phase, to its ultimate conclusion. Needless to say, that got canned, and the Horde's Big Damn Heroes moment faded away into memories of earlier outlines. (*Good riddance! Stupid horde...*)

Matt's own moment was rather spur of the moment. In fact, that whole scene was rather ad-libbed, in that, Matt had to stop writing as I poured out a ton of text as ideas came to me out of the blue. One of those "in-the-zone" things. When deciding on how to end it, I knew after what we'd done to Serenity (as authors, not the avatars) it had to make up for the shock of the reveal, and hopefully pull off that roller coaster-moment where one minute you're all "Aww, Poor Serenity. This is horrible!" And the next you're like "Crazy-man Matt did that? Kickass!" (*I did get to write the actual killing of the dragon scene at the end, though, so it was all good.*)

As for the rather deus-ex machina appearance of the Alliance, well... that's also my fault. Yes, at lvl 80, you can 3-man Blackwing Lair's final boss. But we were still new to Azeroth, and I realized it would look stupidly overpowered if we took him out ourselves, especially with Serenity tied up. So, while I still had control of the fic and Matt was left waiting for me to shut up (literall... well.. you know what I mean) I wrote all that, with the intention of explaining their appearance later. Scouring the story, I'm sure readers have noticed how well that worked out. In my defense, however, I did add Dax's momentary look-back-the-way-we'd-come-at-some-unnamed-sound-he-might-have-heard. The most horrible bit of foreshadowing I've ever done, I think. That was meant to be Shaw, following us. Good followup, eh? No? Okay, yeah. Not really. Apologies, I suppose, for that failure. (*Yeah... I didn't see it either. But neither of us could figure out a better way to put it, so we left it at that.*)

In-story, the Alliance, as well as the Horde, were investigating reports of a new shadowy alliance of merchants and thieves with far more gold than was reasonable. The Alliance's spies discovered the source; Gold Farmers in Blackwing Lair, and prepared to strike. Just as they were, however, their spies who were keeping track of the known farmers (in order to keep them from warning their masters) noted two 'novice investigators,' intent on discovering the lair, as well. When it became apparent they were headed on up, Shaw reported their likelihood at the scene, and offered to trail them from a distance, hoping to use their simple incursion as a distraction that would keep the eyes of the gold farmers off the skies approaching the top of the mountain. It worked, and they discovered an intelligence asset as well.

Sadly, that paragraph, useful as it could have been, didn't really make it into the fic, so the more critical readers were left wondering just how the alliance knew when and where to attack. Such is life.

Expositional chapters like the one following the black dragon's defeat are also tough, because I have to avoid my tendency to infodump via conversation. Every scene where Kyle was talking to the King, I was constantly deleting random bits of lore-dropping lines that served no purpose other than to show off my amazing dedication to learning the history of a fictional world. Something most of my History Teachers in school would hate to know, considering how often I failed their tests and slept through their classes...

The two-year leap in time was intentional and planned-for. I'd gotten complaints before about my fics having unreasonably low times spent training and coming out with far more power than was, well, reasonable. I figured two years in a war zone, establishing a foothold in a hostile environment and then holding the base would grant us enough proficiency in our trades to be believable. It also, as mentioned, leaves a gap in time that could potentially be filled with short stories or anecdotes if ever we wish to revisit Azeroth or something.

General Arlos is actually a character in WoW. In fact, anyone that didn't die was probably torn straight out of the game, though we tried to keep them as in-character as possible. Fun Fact (read as: 'senseless bragging'): At the end of Chapter 14, the two characters referred to as replacements are actually in-game as well, and are performing a role very similar to what it's implied Matt and I did while working at Valiance Keep. There's a Dockmaster Nelno as well, But disliking gnomes the way I do, I mispronounced his name and dismissed him as unimportant. Or, really, I had General Arlos do that, which is the same thing, right?

Captain Bitters was intentionally named that. Dwarves are likely to have either a metal-beard family name, or an alcohol-related family name. Bitters are used to make... something. And, well, his personality was also bitter. I regret not going into more detail about his "secret project," and some of the back story behind it, because there was some in my head at the time, and I never got to write it out. Perhaps one of those "during those two long years..." sidestories, maybe? In any case, originally, he lived. The chapter he was introduced was the chapter he was invented, and it was my intention to ship him off after the mission as an unpleasant annoyance and nothing more.

But then as we wrote him, he turned out to be far more annoying than planned, and I lamented the fact that I hadn't introduced him a chapter or two earlier, because now that we were going to kill him (And you should have seen the PAGES of conversation we had coming up with more and more creative ways to do that). (*By the time it reached this point in the story, we actually realized this was the first real Irritating Bastard we'd written in a while; originally he was supposed to be nice and noble, but we realized pretty much everyone else was already that way. So we wanted to make sure he got a... proper send-off when he exited the story.*) It felt a little weak to only give him two chapters of 'screen-time.' At least, that's how I felt. (*We would have _loved_ to have given him more time to give the readers a chance to build up a true hatred of him, but, well, we realized we wanted to end the Azeroth arc as quickly as possible, and a lot of ideas, including this one, got cut short.*)

Also, the added characters. I don't know about Matt, but I had a terrible time remembering their names (*Names? They had names?*). And I didn't write them down anywhere, so a couple times when you see them referred to by rank or race, it was because I was writing, and was too lazy to go look it up. As we killed them off, I felt rather bad about the way these characters had all become redshirts, and I while I knew that with Leeroy Jenkins there, it was sort of to-be-expected, I still felt the piecemeal picking-off was rather weak.

So Matt and I had a debate, in which a number of lines, actions, and scenes were re-worked, to the point that Serenity was not going to appear and turn every bad guy to ash, but provide some support as she ended up doing, while Leeroy became the martyr/hero.

As for Serenity's little poem/spell/thing... I claim that. It was all me. And by that, I mean, I take full responsibility. Because honestly? When I wrote it, I was so proud. I txted Matt to hop on and see this amazing scene, and this kickass poem/spell thing, and we kept it in. And now I look back at it, and was like "Damn, that's clunky." There was, originally, a bit more going on in that scene, as well as a plot point that is no longer relevant, but I couldn't cut it down, and so, there's this big epic spell that does... very little. On the bright side, I like the... I don't know the term for it, but I suppose 'intentional redundancy' works?- anyway. The fact that the lines start with "For" "With" and "In" and then the last line begins "For within-" I just thought that was cool. Or something. (*What Kyle fails to mention is that the 'very little' it did was set up some very important plot points later, and gave the Lich King a Very Good Reason to be pissed at us and want to mess us up later, the consequences of such action being built upon in the next arc.*)((-good point.))

The final "episode" of the fic was both a headache and a blessing. We were a little burned out, and I was utterly terrified of writing what we had planned, because it involved a ton of Lore, pre-established canon WoW characters, and also required that we tie up loose ends and have an impressive final showing. Together, we brainstormed up a working outline, and then proceeded to bulldoze through it. And by bulldoze, I mean that we both forged ahead with impressive speed and lack-of-interruptions, as well as drove multi-ton machinery all over the outline, leaving an unrecognizable mess. (*I think at one point Tim the Toolman Taylor was shouting "MOAR POWER!" as we ran roughshod over what used to be our grand plans.*)

From The Fanfiction Forums to , the last two chapters saw some changes as readers pointed out flaws or mistakes in character aspects that clashed with lore and left me, mr. researcher-guy cringing back to make corrections, even as we tried to tie up the myriad loose ends we had left.

We knew we had to have closure with Dax. Obviously, we needed to get the Ginzuishou back from Malygos, and of course, there were our bodies to get back to, as well. Tackling those issues was easy enough on paper, but it was also the end of the Arc; we needed a finale, a farewell, and a hook.

The farewell was easy enough. We'd had a nice little karaoke-party thing earlier, and getting closure with Elune was planned long before. Aside from a couple minor edits, the conversation between Elune and Serenity had been written a day or so after we decided that the princess was going to be aborted. (*I'm proud of that bit, and take credit for a large chunk of it. It was written pretty much as a gut response to how I figured Serenity would act once she saw Elune again, realizing her supposed "sister" did nothing to help save her child.*) That said, it was still tough to do, because a lot of readers were probably feeling a bit antagonistic towards Elune for what had happened. Hopefully the dialogue helped clear that up to some degree.

As for the finale, well... I'm a sucker for soundtracks, and there are times where a scene I write is influenced by a song from a movie or game. The fight with Dax was tuneless, but the Battle to stall Malygos was done with "Black Wing Metamorphosis" from the Voices of the Lifestream Album in mind the entire time. Cliche? Sure. But I love it, and it felt write, so there it was. A multi-phase fight similar in nature to the actual Malygos battle, but unique enough to keep the WoW players from skipping it... I hope.

Serenity's last-minute save, the exodus, and the run were a last-minute addition. There were plans that involved the Lich King, a tossed spell at the last minute, and repercussions that I personally wanted to have in there. Matt was more willing to let it go, but being the stubborn person I am, I found a way to keep it in. This time, however, I have to say that in hindsight, I wouldn't change a thing. Just enough detail to make some sense to all readers, and a final dose of "I know enough about everyone's past to play them off against each other."

Finally, the hook. As Matt has pointed out, Serenity's Epic Poem of Land-Grabbery Served a purpose, after all. Pissing off the Lich King. Setting things up for the next arc, I needed someone powerful to damage Serenity's transportation spell, and, well.. who more powerful than the Lich King? So I suppose it's not the greatest hook for a sequel, but hopefully, when the first chapter of Arc Two is posted, readers will remember what has gone on in the past, and enjoy the repercussions, both immediate, and long-lasting.

Side note: The Gold Farmers (and I dunno why I don't scroll up and put this in the pertinent place...) names were ALL created by slamming my hands on the keyboard. After that, I added enough vowels to make it painfully speakable, and that was that. Ever since then, I've utterly despised that system of naming, because that black dragon? Yeah. Having to hunt down his name was a horrible chore and I will NEVER EVER DO THAT AGAIN. (*Kyle also created Kcalbanihc's name by taking the words "China" and "Black", squishing them together and flipping it around. Thus another weird name, but one easier to remember and spell.*) Holy crap, I totally forgot about that! All this time, I hated that name, and it was... RIGHT THERE. Oh, and yeah. Chinese Goldfarmer joke. Sue me.

I suppose that's about it. The crazy months-long gaps where nothing was posted or said, the sudden burst of a chapter or two, and every moment between writing out the first chapter and sitting here to type this out now, It's been an adventure. There was a time where I wrote my fics purely as an exercise at making myself a better writer. Looking back, I see both amazing progress, and areas that still need work. But the time where I wrote for myself and posted the results on a whim has passed. I'm comfortable with my basic writing style, now. It will still evolve, but I think it's reached a point where I can look over things I've worked on and say "I wrote that."

Now I face the true test. One can admire their own work and share it all they want, but it's a whole new ball game when the things you write are for the entertainment of others. So time time around, I'm replying to reviews, engaging in dialogue with commenters as they come, and working with Matt to produce something that will hopefully entertain anyone willing to read. Reader feedback isn't just appreciated, it's proof that we've managed to reach others.

(*Honestly, working on this project has been an honor and privilege. Kyle is an amazing writer and collaborator, without which I wouldn't have half as much fun trying to do this on my own. And while I'm not as responsive on the message boards or to the comments on , I do read and take into account every comment and criticism posted. I'd also like to point out we were in a major stall at one point the story, until one reader in particular on the FFML sent a large and lengthy, I suppose "dissertation" would be accurate to call it, of our fic. This heavily inspired us to get off our collective butts and continue writing, so I'd like to give a special thanks to Abdiel. Without you, we might have stalled out completely.*)

Also the first time I'd had any of my fics picked apart trope-by-trope. Since then, I've been mindful of them, but, well.. you can't avoid them, so It's been more an exercise of looking back and going "Oh, hey... lookit that!" After writing something. God only knows what I missed, too. Thanks, Abdiel, for teaching me what a 'Lensman Arms Race' is. And thanks to everyone else to commented, criticized, complained and corrected us through this arc. The story would not have happened without you all.


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